St Basils Big Sleepout heads to Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium as its much-loved fundraiser enters its 36th year.
There is nothing quite like your own bed.
The warmth. The comfort. The familiar feeling of closing your eyes at night knowing you are somewhere safe, with a roof over your head.
Now imagine giving all of that up for one night – and doing it to help a young person who doesn’t have that security.
That is the simple idea behind St Basils Big Sleepout, the charity’s annual fundraising challenge, which returns this November at one of Birmingham’s most recognisable landmarks: Alexander Stadium.
On Friday 13 November, hundreds of people will leave their beds behind and spend the night outdoors, sleeping in bags and cardboard shelters while raising money to support young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The Big Sleepout has been running for more than 35 years. The venue may have changed over the decades, but the reason people turn up has remained the same.
Give up one night of comfort to help someone else have a safer future.
And this year, Sleepout supporters will have a rather impressive view while they do it.
Alexander Stadium has been at the heart of some of Birmingham’s biggest sporting moments and, this summer, hosted the European Athletics Championships.
In November, the stadium will take on a very different role.
Instead of athletes taking to the track, hundreds of St Basils supporters will be rolling out their sleeping bags.
And thanks to the generosity of the team at Alexander Stadium, the venue is being provided to St Basils free of charge.
That is a significant contribution to the event, and means more of the money raised by Sleepout participants can go towards helping young people.
Barrie Hodge, Director of Income and Social Value at St Basils, said:
“We’re really excited to be bringing the Big Sleepout to Alexander Stadium this year.
“The Sleepout is always a fantastic evening, but underneath the cardboard boxes and sleeping bags is a really important message. For one night, our supporters choose to give up the comfort and security of their own beds so they can help young people who don’t have that security.
“Every pound raised helps us support young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, giving them somewhere safe to stay and helping them take the next steps towards a more secure future.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Alexander Stadium for giving us the venue, and to Sandland Packaging and Langar Aid for their support. It takes a huge amount of work to put an event like this together, and it’s brilliant to see so many organisations and individuals coming together to make it happen.”
More than a night in a cardboard box.
For anyone imagining a chilly night spent staring at the ceiling of a cardboard box, there is more to the Big Sleepout than that.
Although the sleeping bags will eventually come out, the evening starts with people coming together, building their shelters and getting involved in the all-important Creative Cardboard Competition.
And this year, they have Bilston-based Sandland Packaging to thank for the raw materials.
The company is donating the cardboard for the event, a contribution worth thousands of pounds to St Basils and one that helps ensure more of the money raised by participants can go directly towards supporting young people.
Then there is the small matter of dinner.
Langar Aid will be serving free food to Sleepout participants, making sure nobody is going to bed hungry, even if they are going to bed in a cardboard box.
The organisation has supported St Basils and people experiencing homelessness for many years. Its volunteers give their time to provide food as well as a warm welcome, reflecting Langar Aid’s belief that everyone should be treated with dignity, kindness and respect.
There will also be music from Choir with No Name, whose members have experienced homelessness.
The choir is about much more than singing. It gives people the chance to build confidence, improve their wellbeing and, importantly, find a community where they feel they belong.
So, while the Big Sleepout is about fundraising, it is also about bringing people together.
There will be music, food, competition, plenty of cardboard ingenuity – and, eventually, the challenge of getting some sleep.
One night. A big difference.
For many people, taking part in the Big Sleepout is a chance to do something different with friends, family or colleagues.
But behind the fun and the fundraising is a reality that is becoming increasingly difficult for many young people.
For someone already struggling, an unexpected bill, losing a job, family problems or a relationship breaking down can quickly turn a difficult situation into a housing crisis.
Finding somewhere affordable and safe to live can be the difference between getting back on your feet and falling further into crisis.
That is where St Basils comes in.
The charity supports young people aged 16–25 across the West Midlands who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. It provides accommodation, advice and practical support, helping young people develop the skills, confidence and stability they need to move forward.
Because a housing crisis should be a chapter in someone’s life – not a definition of their future.
Could you give up your bed?
Bring your sleeping bag.
Bring your friends, family or colleagues.
Bring your best cardboard-building skills.
And bring your fundraising power.
One night sleeping outside will not tell you what it is like to experience homelessness. But it can give you a glimpse of what it means to lose the comfort and security that most of us take for granted.
And, more importantly, your fundraising can help St Basils make sure a young person has somewhere safe to go.
St Basils Big Sleepout takes place at Alexander Stadium on Friday 13 November 2026.
Ready to take on the challenge?
Find out more and sign up at stbasils.org.uk/events/the-big-sleepout-2026/
Or search St Basils Sleepout 2026.
