Young girl and grandmother sleep outside in the rain with no tent for Leeds Big Sleep charity challenge

A 12-year-old girl and her grandmother from Leeds have spent a night sleeping outside in the rain to raise money for the Leeds Big Sleep 2021.
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Ellie Bowers, aged 12, and her grandmother Cheryl Harrington, aged 53, battled the rain and the cold on February 5 to sleep outside for the charity event.

In pre-Covid times, the Big Sleep is an organised event at Headingley Stadium in order to raise awareness of homeless issues and raise money for charities which help vulnerable people, such as Leeds Rhinos Foundation, St George's Crypt and St Gemma's Hospice.

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But this year, the event couldn't allow people to sleep in the outside world due to Covid restrictions, so the organisers came together to create an event for people to participate in from the (dis)comfort of their own home.

Ellie and grandmother Cheryl slept outside for charity (photo: Kate Bowers)Ellie and grandmother Cheryl slept outside for charity (photo: Kate Bowers)
Ellie and grandmother Cheryl slept outside for charity (photo: Kate Bowers)

Ellie's mum, Kate Bowers - who is Cheryl's daughter - said she was absolutely "stunned" by her daughter's efforts and didn't believe she would actually go through with it.

The mum-of-three added: "For weeks my mum was saying that Ellie had said she would join her and sleep outside but I just thought there was no way she would have agreed to that and that it just won't happen.

"I hadn't even bothered setting up a fundraising page for them because I was that doubtful so we had to do that on the day!

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"On the Friday my mum called and said 'come on then Ellie are you going to do this with me' and she was just so easily like 'okay'.

Ellie, aged 12, said only her hands were cold as she slept in the rainEllie, aged 12, said only her hands were cold as she slept in the rain
Ellie, aged 12, said only her hands were cold as she slept in the rain

"Ellie then asked me 'what, do I get paid for just sleeping?' so I told her that she didn't but charities would get the money and she was so made up that she could raise money for charity purely by sleeping."

Cheryl is the Head of Fundraising at St George's Crypt and so has taken part in the challenge for the last four years.

The pair camped outside on sun loungers under a sideless gazebo at her home in Gledhow.

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Ellie and her grandmother-of-five went inside at 6.00am which is the time they were allowed to according to the challenge rules.

Kate said: "I told Ellie that she wasn't going to be in a tent and her answer was 'so?'

"She was just really not phased by it and she already wants to do it again next year.

"She's taken it with a pinch of salt and just doesn't see what the big deal is but I’m amazed and so proud of her.

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"I can't believe she’s done it, because I just didn't think she would go through with it."

The 12-year-old has now taken up football but used to be a Beaver Scouts and Cubs member and so has camped outside before - but underneath a tent on previous occasions.

Ellie told her mum that her hands were cold, but other than that she was just fine under her sleeping bag.

Donations can be made for Ellie and Cheryl here.

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