IT sleeping partners help the homeless

Big companies don’t necessarily have a reputation for big hearts. But increasingly, businesses are recognising the value of supporting charitable causes, with many developing company-wide corporate social responsibility initiatives. Not only is this charity work a great philanthropic gesture, it provides invaluable PR and networking opportunities for organisations within their industry and improves their profile and reputation among their peers.

This is not corporate cynicism ­ it is a workable and mutual system. However, it would be wrong to assume that industry support is limited to achieving business benefits.

One industry success story is the IT sector’s annual Byte Night, which raises money for Action for Children (AFC ­ formerly NCH). The event sees hundreds of senior IT executives spend a night in the great outdoors to raise money for young people at risk of homelessness.

The first event took place 10 years ago, with 35 people sleeping out. But the IT industry is a small world. The cause clearly struck a chord across the industry and word of the event spread quickly.

This year we’re expecting 400 sleepers at the London event alone. Over the past 10 years, a staggering 1,500 senior IT figures have slept outdoors raising £1.5m for youth homelessness. And the goodwill has not just been limited to London. We now run local Byte Night events across the country ­ including the Thames Valley, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

The success of Byte Night demonstrates that IT companies are not just about throwing money at charities, while basking in the glory. It is not just about taking advantage of bonuses and passing the collection box around. There is actually an appetite for active participation, as senior executives and junior IT professionals alike give up their home comforts for the night. Furthermore, each year the Byte Night board boasts a stellar cast from the IT industry ­ with directors attending from companies as disparate as Ernst & Young, Nokia, Dell and HP.

With more and more people taking part each year, we have in effect hijacked the IT industry for a charitable cause. Ten years ago, who ever would have associated the IT industry with youth homelessness? But it’s one of the most effective fundraising partnerships I’ve ever seen.

The reason Ken Deeks and James Bennet, founders of Byte Night, teamed up with AFC originally was because both had goals in place for the year 2000 ­ AFC was aiming to reduce youth homelessness, while the IT industry was facing the deadline of the millennium bug. In addition to this, Ken and James had been moved by the charity’s cause after meeting the children who had been helped by AFC. Their passion was so infectious and the cause so worthy, that I felt compelled to join them. Now the whole industry is helping to make a difference to the lives of young people facing problems most of us can’t even comprehend.

But it’s not just about the big brands. In fact, some of our most loyal supporters and strongest advocates are from the smaller companies or are people who are not directly involved in IT itself but work as advisers or consultants to the industry. And that is what is so special about this event ­ it is supported by people with a variety of backgrounds, working at different levels across different companies, all brought together by a mutual desire to help out.

Other sectors could learn a great deal from this. The success of Byte Night is testament to the vitality, generosity and imagination of the IT industry and as we embark on our 10th campaign, I believe it will go from strength to strength.

JP Rangaswami is managing director of BT Design, and board member of Byte Night