---
title: "Tonbridge School pupils' annual sleepout tops £200,000 raised for homelessness charity"
canonical: https://smallgoodthings.org/stories/uk-tonbridge-school-novi-sleepout-porchlight-2026/
sourceName: "Tonbridge School"
sourceUrl: "https://www.tonbridge-school.co.uk/blog/2026/05/21/first-year-pupils-fundraising-for-homelessness-charity-breaks-key-milestone/"
datePublished: 2026-05-21
---

# Tonbridge School pupils' annual sleepout tops £200,000 raised for homelessness charity

Tonbridge School's annual Novi Sleepout, in which First Year pupils sleep outside to raise money and awareness, has pushed fourteen years of fundraising for Porchlight, Kent's largest homelessness charity, past £200,000. Tonbridge School reported the milestone on 21 May 2026, alongside quotes from Porchlight staff on the impact of the funds.

## What is the background?
Porchlight is Kent's largest homelessness charity, providing support to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness across the county. **School fundraising homelessness Kent** events like Tonbridge School's Novi Sleepout give pupils a direct, physical way to engage with an issue rather than only donating money raised by others.

## What happened?
Tonbridge School's First Year pupils took part in the 2026 Novi Sleepout, an annual event where students sleep outside overnight to raise money and awareness for Porchlight. Tonbridge School reported on 21 May 2026 that the sleepout's fourteen-year cumulative total for Porchlight has now passed £200,000.

The event combines the fundraising with direct awareness-building, since pupils experience a version of sleeping rough themselves rather than only hearing about the issue secondhand.

## How did it happen?
Porchlight staff work directly with the school each year to run the sleepout and connect it to the charity's broader work. Porchlight Coach Maurice "Mossy" Sturgess said: "The reason the fundraising is so important... is because it changes people's lives," linking the pupils' overnight event directly to Porchlight's frontline support work.

Porchlight's Community and Corporate Fundraising Officer, known as Mim, said: "Every year I marvel at the very thoughtful, caring students you have," while the school's Head of Community Action, Juliet Burnett, said: "This powerful annual event makes us all reflect on the individual stories behind every person who finds themselves homeless."

## Why does it matter?
Fourteen consecutive years of fundraising for the same charity, rather than a single one-off event, means Porchlight can plan around a recurring source of support instead of relying on unpredictable one-time donations. Passing £200,000 cumulatively shows what a sustained, repeated school partnership can add up to over time, even when each individual year's total is comparatively modest.

Having First Year pupils specifically take part also builds the tradition into the school early, meaning younger students see older year groups' involvement before it becomes their turn to sleep out.

## What were the key results?
- Novi Sleepout has run at Tonbridge School for fourteen consecutive years
- Cumulative fundraising for Porchlight passed £200,000 as of May 2026
- Porchlight is Kent's largest homelessness charity
- Event specifically involves the school's First Year pupils
- Pupils sleep outside overnight as part of the awareness-raising exercise
- Porchlight staff directly participate in running the annual event
- Named Porchlight staff (Maurice Sturgess, Mim) and school staff (Juliet Burnett) quoted on its impact

## What happens next?
Tonbridge School plans to continue the Novi Sleepout as an annual First Year tradition in future school years.

Porchlight said it will continue working with the school to connect fundraising totals to specific frontline support outcomes.

The school's Head of Community Action said future sleepouts will keep emphasising the individual stories behind homelessness statistics.

Porchlight is expected to report how the cumulative £200,000 has been allocated across its Kent-wide homelessness services.

Primary source: [Tonbridge School](https://www.tonbridge-school.co.uk/blog/2026/05/21/first-year-pupils-fundraising-for-homelessness-charity-breaks-key-milestone/)