Hill Dickinson Stadium is holding its first ever Junior Sleepout for young Blues

Young Blues fans will get to sleep overnight on the terraces of Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time this April.

The club is hosting its first Junior Sleepout on Friday April 24 to raise funds for its official charity which supports young people who are at risk of homelessness.

And it won’t just be sleeping bags under the stadium’s now famous barrel roof – there’ll be a great family fun atmosphere through the evening with plenty of games and activities for all ages to get involved in.

It’s a chance for young people especially to help support other young people who are less fortunate and have a memorable true Blue experience at the same time.

The event is set to be an unforgettable night, following on from the huge success of the final Junior Sleepout at Goodison in April last year.

Dan Halliday, Everton’s Head of Partnerships and Charitable Giving said:

“That was biggest ever, we had about 400 people in the Park End and the atmosphere was fantastic, so we’d love to get more than that taking part in the first one at our new home,”

The event is aimed at young fans aged between 5 and 16 years old, and for safety reasons there’s a maximum of three children accompanied by each parent or guardian.

Because it’s a charity fundraiser, every junior Blue will be asked to pay a £30 registration fee, with a £10 fee for the adult who comes along with them. They’ll also be encouraged to raise sponsorship, with a target of £60 representing Everton In The Community’s 60+ programmes and initiatives which cover a range of social issues including health, employability, anti-social behaviour and education.

It all kicks off from 6.30pm to 8pm and it finishes at around 7am the next morning, although Dan admits with excitement levels high there’s often not too much sleeping goes on!

“All the activities will be on the concourse, it’ll be buzzing down there, then we’ll be in the South Stand for the night,” says Dan.

“People can pick their own spot in the stands – they’ll often want to get together with friends – and they sleep on the terraces between the rows of seating. They bring their own sleeping bags, pillows, and usually roll up yoga mats to make it a bit more comfortable.

“Obviously we are on riverfront now so might be cooler during the night, but that’s one of the points of the sleepout: to experience a little of what it’s like to be homeless because all the money raised goes to fund the project that we run, Home Is Where the Heart Is, for young people at risk of homelessness.

“It’s young people helping young people. Particularly in our city if something bad happens or a problem needs fixing, Liverpool comes together to fix it and that’s exactly what this is about.”