60 employees from Miles and Barr, a leader in Kent's property market, Slept Out for Porchlight on Saturday 9th October 2021, to raise awareness and funds for Porchlight, the county's largest charity for vulnerable and homeless people. Collectively fundraising over £5,500, colleagues from across Miles and Barr came together to experience what it might be like to sleep rough every night. Porchlight provides pivotal support to so many people and last year alone supported more than 600 individuals sleeping rough in Kent.

During the company's first Sleep Out for Porchlight, Miles and Barr employees built shelters from cardboard boxes and heard from Porchlight about how the money fundraised will support and transform a life.

Mark Brooks, CEO of Miles and Barr, said, “The Sleep Out was an eye-opening experience for not just me but all employees who participated, proving to us all why we should always aim to help those in vulnerable positions such as those supported by Porchlight. As an independently owned market leading property group in Kent, we care about helping those who need a little extra support and by placing our fundraising focus on Porchlight we know that we can help to make a difference to the services that they offer.

“Our Sleep Out for Porchlight fundraiser wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of Discovery Park, Future Homes UK, and Landsec (Westwood Cross). Each partner donated resources for the evening, which meant that we could hold, in collaboration with Porchlight, an event that raised over £5,500.”

This year, Porchlight took referrals for more than 1,000 people who were rough sleeping, and now, thousands more people in Kent are in danger of becoming homeless because they've lost jobs or income. Kate Boulding, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Porchlight, said, “Protections like the furlough scheme and the eviction ban have now ended and we're expecting even more people to be needing our help in the coming months. The amazing support we've received from Miles and Barr means we can continue to be there for the most vulnerable in our communities. We want to say a massive thank you to all the employees who slept out to raise funds towards our work, and for the generous support we've received from Miles and Barr through our invaluable partnership.”

Miles and Barr also turned its branches purple on Saturday 9th October to mark the upcoming World Homeless Day on 10th October 2021. From window displays to Porchlight t-shirts, all members of staff showed their support for the charity and its cause while raising awareness too.

Miles and Barr, independently owned by four east Kent residents are always keen to be involved and a positive contributor to the communities in which it operates.  With 14 offices located across east Kent, the company supports many local organisations and events with recent sponsorships including Thanet Wanderers  Rugby Club, Broadstairs Food Festival, Canterbury Eagles, Ramsgate Week, plus Margate & Broadstairs Lawn Tennis Club.  

ENDS

Media enquiries, please contact Lauren Williams on laurenwilliams@milesandbarr.co.uk or Harvey Nassirzadeh on harveynassirzadeh@milesandbarr.co.uk

or +44 (0)1304 273324 / 07747618631

Notes to Editors:

Miles & Barr was launched in 1999 with one office in Ramsgate. Through the acquisition of regional property companies and organic growth, Miles & Barr has developed into Kent's property market leader. Operating six departments with services across home sales and buying, lettings and property management, relocation, commercial sales and lettings, financial services and conveyancing. Miles & Barr experienced a shareholder buyout in March 2020.

Porchlight is Kent's largest charity for homeless and vulnerable people, here for people who have nowhere to go and no-one to turn to. Some are living on the streets, others need support to prevent or resolve any issues that could put them at risk of homelessness. Porchlight strives for a fairer society where vulnerable people find stability, the most excluded are included, and where homelessness and poverty are things of the past. porchlight.org.uk

Established in 2019, Future Homes is a residential developer based in East Kent. Our team has extensive experience in residential development, having worked collectively with national housebuilders across the UK and individual developers in the local area for decades. Our sites – all located in East Kent - comprise a range of apartments, penthouses and houses in converted and new buildings. Current developments include Charles Court, a collection of contemporary apartments and townhouses in Margate with views of the sea and The Fairways, a development of just 18 apartments and penthouses in Broadstairs. For media enquiries, please contact Samantha Larkin samantha@futurehomesuk.com