Dollars for Doers: Stantec employees making a positive difference
October 04, 2024
Employees around the UK fundraised and volunteered for LandAid, which saw a donation through Stantec’s Dollars for Doers program
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Lauren Wright, graduate transport planner in Stantec’s Birmingham UK office, was one of hundreds of property professionals who braved the elements for one night sleeping out to support young people facing homelessness. On March 7, 2024, she joined other participants to take part in SleepOut 2024 in seven cities across the UK—Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, and Manchester.
The event was sponsored by LandAid, an organization striving towards ending youth homelessness. In the UK alone, a young person becomes homeless every four minutes. Last year, that equated to nearly 136,000 16- to 25-year-olds without shelter.
Participants in the SleepOut arrived on a chilly Thursday evening to their designated venue. In Birmingham, teams gathered in Digbeth, at The Bond’s uncovered outdoor space. Each participant received a cardboard box to unfold and arrange as their bed for the night. Team members brought sleeping bags and dressed in layers to withstand the 5°C (41°F) temperature. Once everyone was settled, members of LandAid shared inspiring stories—how their organization has helped local youth and how they’re planning to use the funds raised. Participants spent the remaining time before attempting sleep networking with other professionals (including Stantec clients and competitors), playing games, and drinking hot beverages.
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Birmingham, UK team.
This was Lauren’s second year participating in the SleepOut since joining Stantec two years ago. Her team was comprised of 29 Stantec employees from offices across five cities including lead LandAid Ambassador for Stantec, Jodie Welch. Collectively, their efforts raised £8,989 in addition to the Dollars for Doers award.
Lauren doesn’t hesitate about continuing to support this event. With her Stantec office in the city centre of Birmingham, she witnesses the homelessness crisis firsthand—people often camp near the office to be close to local eateries. When she talks about participating in the SleepOut, she feels connected to youth experiencing homelessness.
“This experience is very humbling. It puts everything into perspective. We have hot water, heating and roofs over our heads, but our circumstances could change at any moment. Sleeping outside for one night can’t even begin to replicate the struggles young homeless people face daily, but it’s a big eye opener into their experiences, and makes us realize just how important the work that LandAid does towards reducing youth homelessness. To be able to raise money for such a good cause, and be able to help people locally where we live and work—why wouldn’t I do this?”
A big thank you to Lauren and her colleagues for their continued support of LandAid. Find out how to donate to or participate in SleepOut 2025. As an individual volunteer, or member of a team fundraiser, you too can be awarded a cash donation for the charity you support through the Dollars for Doers program which Lauren noted has a short, easy application form. Read stories of past recipients.