newy.com.au – Newcastle business and community leaders are being urged to brave the cold for this year’s Vinnies CEO Sleepout, with the city again set to host one of New South Wales’ three event locations on Thursday 18 June. Organisers say Newcastle participants will spend the night at a Vinnies service in the region, with the exact venue to be announced closer to the date.
The Newcastle sleepout will be part of a 13-city national campaign, with events also planned for Sydney, Wollongong, Canberra, Darwin, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Adelaide, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne and Perth. Vinnies says more than 122,000 people are experiencing homelessness across Australia, according to the most recent Census.
“The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is an opportunity for leaders across Australia to draw attention to homelessness and use their influence to advocate for change,” the Society’s National President Mark Gaetani said. He said homelessness had increased by 5.2 per cent nationally since 2016 and argued Australia needed action on secure housing, not just awareness of the crisis.
Newcastle has been part of the regional expansion of the sleepout since 2013, and the fundraiser has now brought in close to $110 million nationally since it began in 2006. More than 1,500 CEOs, business and community leaders took part in 2025, raising more than $9.4 million for state-based services and programs.
Funds raised through the annual sleepout help Vinnies provide accommodation, food, clothing, case management and other support for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, with registrations and donations now open through the CEO Sleepout website.
