Nationwide Preston team join Big PNE Sleep Out to boost Foxton fundraising efforts

Nationwide Preston’s Jo Smith and Viktorija Murane Pic: Blog Preston

A team from Nationwide Preston is preparing to sleep out at Deepdale for the Big PNE Sleep Out.

Led by Senior Branch Manager Jo Smith it won’t be the first time the group has raised vital funds for The Foxton Centre and will take their donated total to the local homelessness charity over the £50,000 mark.

Jo said: “Being a city centre business we see what’s happening with homelessness in the city and are aware first-hand of what the Foxton are doing in terms of their work.

“We wanted to do the Sleep Out as our way of showing our support and at Nationwide we have a community ethos and this is all part of that.”

Joining Jo to bed down at Preston North End’s ground on Friday 17 November will be colleagues Viktorija Murane, Jim Norris, Lisa Parsonage and Natalie Whyte.

Jo, who has worked for Nationwide for 13 years and eight years at the Fishergate branch, said: “No doubt it’s going to be a challenge but we like one of those and it’s the England game that night too so hopefully there will be a good atmosphere with everyone there at Deepdale.

“I’m a big football fan so it’s great to see the club supporting an event like this and a great cause like the Foxton.”

The Preston branch team last year secured a grant of £48,950 for The Foxton Centre from the building society itself as part of its Community Grants scheme. The branch colleagues are offering their time as part of two days volunteering every Nationwide employee receives annually.

Jo said: “We are lucky that Nationwide gives each of us two days a year to support charities or undertake volunteering.

“It’s something we take seriously here at the Preston branch and we’ve been able to undertake a number of charity challenges and also secure funding from Nationwide to help The Foxton in other ways.”

Branches are vital to local communities across Britain. Nationwide is committed to its branch network and has promised not to leave any town or city in which it is based until at least 2026. Research from Britain’s biggest building society has found that 63 per cent of people value their local branch. Nationwide recently became the UK’s biggest branch network due to its continued value of branches.

Jo and team are hoping to raise more than £1,000 towards the Big PNE Sleep Out total.

Chief executive of The Foxton Centre, Jeff Marsh, said: “It’s great to see so many people signing up to the Big PNE Sleep Out and the Nationwide team too by their efforts will join everyone at Deepdale helping to ensure our Day Centre in Fox Street can continue to provide vital services which are only seeing an upturn in the need for as the cost of living crisis hits hard.”

There’s still time to sign up for the Big PNE Sleep Out at Deepdale, you can register via Eventbrite to secure your place. If you can’t make it, you can donate to support all those taking part via Justgiving.