Dumfries to hold street sleepover to highlight homelessness
This is the first time this event has come to the town.
Last updated 11th Mar 2025
A charity and a group of Dumfries volunteers are getting ready to brave the cold on Friday night by camping out on the street to highlight Scotland’s homelessness reality.
They will be getting their cardboard mats and sleeping bags out by the Whitesands office around 9pm.
The Big Bethany Sleep Out was requested by some of the region’s youths – this will make it the first time the challenge has ever happened in the town.
The Bethany Christian Trust usually go to the country’s bigger cities to raise awareness for this same issue.
Rebecca Wright, who is the charity’s Events and Engagement Manager, tells us more:
“It is a fundraising event that challenges every participant to step outside of their comfort zones. For one night only, we ask everyone to sleep outside to raise the awareness of the realities of homelessness in Scotland.
“I think this is a good opportunity for people of any age to just have their perspectives changed for people who are rough sleeping or begging.
“This year, because of the interest from a couple of young people in Dumfries, we have decided to organise a sleep out in Dumfries and that is happening this Friday on the 14th of March.”
For the people who are taking part in this, they are being advised to wrap up warm.
The challenge is expected to end around 7am on Saturday, March 15.
Rebecca added that this event seems to attract young people, but it does target everyone of all ages.
“It’s a great event; it raises a fair bit of money for us which we’re then able to distribute where the need is greatest.
“We do it in March because it's not too warm but not too cold.”
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