Community
Sleep out your way
Whether you go it solo or rally your crew, you’ll be taking a powerful stand against homelessness.

Who Can Take Part?
Everyone!
Individuals - Teams - Colleges - Universities - Sport Clubs - Church Groups - Social Clubs
Take a stand. Make it count.
On Friday 10 October, communities across Ireland will sleep out together in solidarity with people experiencing homelessness. Whether you’re going solo, teaming up with friends or rallying your club or college, your support helps shine a light on one of the biggest social issues of our time. 
Every sign up and every euro raised helps provide vital support services through Focus Ireland, proudly supported by Bord Gáis Energy.

Choose your Sleep Out option:
Join a Community
Sleep Out
Friday 10 October
Community Sleep Out events:
- Limerick Shine A Light, Crescent Shopping Centre, Limerick (Link TBC)
- TBC
- Option 1 - On the team page, select the yellow 'Join us' button to join a team and be part of their event. You will be prompted to sign up as an individual first to create your own fundraising page before joining the team.
- Option 2: Sign up as an individual to create your own fundraising page, select 'Join an existing team' and type in the team type to join and be part of their event.
Spaces:
Maximum of 100 participants. All individual participants must be registered to attend this event.
Running order:
All participants will receive an email with detailed running order closer to the event. 
What will be provided?  
- Shine A Light beanie hat 
- Tea & coffee will be available. 
- Support from staff, First Aider & security (available throughout the night).
Host your own
Community Sleep Out
Date:
Friday 10 October
Time:
Your choice, flexible to the needs of your group. Please refer to the resources provided for further guidance. 
Locations:
Home, garden, community centre, club.
*Please make sure you have obtained the necessary permissions. Please refer to the resources provided for further guidance. 
Running order:
Please refer to the resources provided for further guidance.
What will be provided?  
- All participants will receive a Shine A Light beanie hat once they have fundraised a minimum of €50. 
- Downloadable event materials to print such as posters and bunting. 
- An online programme featuring videos from Focus Ireland, our sponsors Bord Gáis Energy, and customers
Be prepared for the night
What to wear?
What to bring?
What to pack?
Here's what you can expect

Learn more about Focus Ireland's work

Information Webinar

Events & Support

Sense of accomplishment
Your fundraising goal
We are asking each participant to strive for a fundraising goal of €250.
Why €250?
Your generous contributions will directly impact the lives of those in need.
Here's how your fundraising can make a difference:
€250
7 customers can receive advice, information and warm nutritious meals within our Coffee Shop
€750
3 families can receive wrap-around supports such as advice and information, allocated case workers with the ultimate goal of secure long-term accommodation
€1,000
3 young people and adults can receive support through our Preparation for Education, Training & Employment Service (PETE)
Testimonials

A message from Lorraine Toner, Head of Community Fundraising, Focus Ireland:
At Focus Ireland, we believe homelessness is one of the greatest social injustices of our time, but it’s not inevitable. It’s a problem we can solve. As Head of Community Fundraising, I’ve seen firsthand the incredible power of local action. When communities come together, change happens. Whether it’s a youth group, a sports club, or a few friends teaming up, the impact is real. Right now, the need has never been greater. Homelessness continues to rise at an alarming rate, with thousands of families and children now relying on emergency accommodation. But together, we can shine a light on this crisis and take action to end it. That’s why I’m calling on communities across Ireland to join us for Shine A Light. Your support sends a powerful message: that no one facing homelessness is invisible, and no one is alone.
Past Participants
I have taken part in the sleep out now for over 7 years and 2024 will be my 8th year supporting Focus Ireland! I feel it is a very worthwhile cause - anyone can find themselves in a position of losing their home. I was nearly part of this statistic and only for the help received from friends, I would have needed the help of Focus Ireland. Each year it brings me and my fellow supporters great joy to know we can give something to those who are less fortunate. It is a great event for the whole community to come together to help others and also to learn about the experiences of those who are experiencing homelessness. The team at Focus Ireland are super helpful when I was trying to organise the event whether it was on a street corner, King John's Castle, work rooftop or on the tennis courts, each event was supported fully from Maura and her team at Focus Ireland. Last year we engaged the whole Ennis Tennis and Badminton club from ages of 5 upwards ... and each participant learnt so much on how they can help those experiencing homelessness.
A message from Dervilla Moloney,
Ennis Tennis & Badminton Club

A message from Dr Valerie Mc Taggart,
Atlantic Technological University

A few years ago, I was listening to the radio on my way to work when I heard that the Bord Gáis Energy Focus Ireland’s Shine A Light was upcoming. That night, as I tucked my daughter into bed, I thought about how fortunate we were to have a place to call home. The next day, I emailed colleagues in ATU to see if they would like to join me for the sleep out. The first year, the weather was on our side, and it was a clear, crisp night, albeit a little cold. When morning came around, I realised that while I now had the privilege of returning home, this was not the reality for those who experience homelessness. A full day looms ahead. I think this was the most stark. I went home, and my children were awake. I explained to them why we had done the sleep out and the plight of people experiencing homelessness, helping them better understand the challenges others face. The next year, my ATU colleagues joined me again. We were not as fortunate with the weather; the rain came down in buckets, bringing home the reality of sleeping out. By doing Focus Ireland’s Shine A Light, we not only helped raise much-needed funds, we also raised awareness amongst our university community and the wider community about the challenges others face. I would encourage anyone considering doing the sleepout to take part and play their part in supporting this worthy cause.
“Last year, for the annual Focus Ireland Sleep Out, St Pauls Venture Scouts and four leaders decided to support a very worthwhile event and join them for the sleep out. The bonus for us, we got to sleep out in King John’s castle in Limerick. Such an historic location set an amazing experience. We rolled out our survival bags on the stone floors. We looked up at a clear sky filled with stars and tried to find inspiration from their speckles. Volunteers shared their own experiences of homelessness and their stories drew them all together on arrival. You could hear a pin drop when they spoke about what caused their poverty or struggles. Focus Ireland are an amazing charity that aims to hear those voices that go unheard, provide unconditional support for those without a home; ultimately break the cycle of homelessness. It was cold but we set up our make-shift composite for the night, all in great spirits. We had a lot of chat, reflection and even some singing as we drifted off to sleep under the stars and listening to the flow of the River Shannon below us. We woke early with an easy heart and warm bodies. Next year, Focus Ireland will again organise this great night across multiple locations around Ireland; raise much needed funds but also awareness about homelessness. By getting involved with such an incredible experience we would definitely encourage everyone to participate enabling Focus Ireland to positively affect lives of people they help but also have an impact on people that support their great work.”
A message from
St. Pauls Venture Scouts
