Will You Sleep Rough So Others Don’t Have To?
20% of all the people with disabilities that our Advice Team supports each year don’t have a home.
That means that last year we helped 300 people in our community who are living with a disability yet have no safe, permanent home.
People with disabilities are severely and disproportionately affected by homelessness.
Two-thirds of disabled people living alone are in poverty.
44% of disabled young adults are in poverty.
Households accepted as homeless by reason of physical ill health or disability increased by 73% from 2018-2022.
What is the Big Sleep Easy?
Date: 18th October 2025
Location: The Treehouse, Merritown Lane, Hurn, BH23 6DT
Participants set a fundraising target, wrap up warm, build a cardboard shelter, and spend a night sleeping rough so others don’t have to.
Not only does the event raise vital funds, but it also fosters team building, a personal challenge, and demonstrates a genuine commitment to supporting our homeless and disabled community.
Can you join us to:
Raise Awareness & Funds.
Support the local disabled community to keep them from homelessness.
Understand the reality of sleeping rough.
Give Hope - provide critical resources to those in need.
Participants will spend a night under the stars, sleeping in their own cardboard shelter. You are asked to raise as much as you can through seeking sponsorship from friends, family, businesses and associates in recognition of the huge challenge you are taking on.
To find out more and sign up please get in touch with Diverse Abilities:
fundraising@diverseabilities.org.uk or 01202 718266
A family contacted Diverse Abilities fearing they would lose their home. Caring for their child with physical and learning disabilities, they were on low income and struggling to hold down employment owing to their care responsibilities and the pressure they were under. They had accumulated significant debt and were facing a housing crisis. Our Advice Team was able to help them access housing support, Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and an increase in Child Disability Allowance (DLA), all of which they were eligible for but couldn’t find their way through. This pulled them from their debt and housing crisis and has transformed their lives.
This year we are delighted to be working with Bournemouth YMCA’s Big Sleep Easy to tackle homelessness on our community together.
Big Sleep Easy offers an inspiring challenge for individuals, groups, and organisations to raise awareness of homelessness and funds to tackle the problem locally.
Funds raised by Diverse Abilities’ supporters will fund Diverse Abilities advice service of just two advisors who together help 1,500 people with disabilities every year.
More information can be found online: The YMCA Big Sleep Easy 2025 - YMCA Bournemouth but please let the team at Diverse Abilities know that you wish to take part rather than sign up only on this weblink.