Northamptonshire unites for its biggest Big Sleep Out yet

Three iconic sporting venues, four local charities, one night to stand alongside people facing homelessness.  

The Northampton Hope Centre has today announced the Big Sleep Out 2027, a county-wide night of fundraising and awareness for people experiencing homelessness and hardship across Northamptonshire. The event is being delivered in partnership with Northampton Saints Foundation, Steelbacks Foundation and Northampton Town FC Community Trust 

On Friday 5 March 2027, participants will bed down for the night at one of three of the county’s best-known sporting venues:  

• Sixfields Stadium, home of Northampton Town Football Club  

• DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, home of Northampton Saints  

• The County Ground, home of Northamptonshire Steelbacks 

The Hope Centre is calling on residents, businesses, schools, community groups and sports fans to take part. For one night, participants will gain a small insight into the reality of sleeping rough, while raising vital funds to keep essential support running throughout the year.  

The campaign was officially launched at DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens at 10am on Monday 9 November 2026. Partners and supporters heard first-hand why the event matters, the impact homelessness is having on communities across the county, and how everyone can get involved. 

Brandon Eldred, organiser of the Big Sleep Out, said 

“The Big Sleep Out is about bringing Northamptonshire together to stand alongside those facing homelessness and poverty. By uniting the county’s leading sporting foundations and community organisations, we can make a real difference to the people who need support the most.  

We want individuals, families, businesses and community groups from every corner of Northamptonshire to join us on 5 March 2027 and help us create the biggest Big Sleep Out our county has ever seen." 

Money raised will be shared between all four partner organisations. 

Northampton Saints Foundation, Steelbacks Foundation and Northampton Town FC Community Trust will each use their share to support the work they deliver in communities across Northamptonshire, making the Big Sleep Out a shared effort for the whole county. 

Representatives from all four organisations spoke at the launch, setting out their support for the campaign and how their communities can help make it a success. 

Event Details 

Date: Friday 5 March 2027 

Time: Arrival from 6pm to set up, sleep out from 8pm to 8am on Saturday 6 March. 

Venues: Sixfields Stadium, DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens or The County Ground. 

To sign up to the Big Sleepout and to support NTFC Community Trust by sleeping out at Sixfields, visit https://northamptonhopecentre.org.uk/big-sleepout-2027/ and select Sixfields Stadium as your chosen stadium.

Aspire People continue support of NTFC Community Trust

Northampton Town FC Community Trust are delighted to announce the continued support of Aspire People as the headline sponsor of our education department.  

Aspire People are an education recruitment agency specialising in placing teaching and associated staff into the Nursery, SEND, Primary & Secondary sectors. They will be supporting our school enrichment and Premier League Primary Stars programmes as well as our schools Play on the Pitch tournaments in the summer.  

Lorna Stockwell, Schools Manager at Northampton Town FC Community Trust, said: 

"The continued support of Aspire People as our Education Headline Sponsor plays a vital role in helping us deliver meaningful educational enrichment opportunities to children across the county. Their commitment goes far beyond sponsorship; it is an investment in the futures of hundreds of young people. Together, we are creating experiences that inspire learning, support personal development, and give children opportunities they may not otherwise have access to." 

James Coffill, Business Manager at Aspire People, said: 

“We are absolutely delighted to be continuing our partnership with Northampton Town Community Trust as the official education programme partner for the 2026/27 season. At Aspire People, we are passionate about education and creating opportunities for young people, so supporting the Trust through the delivery of the PASS programme in local schools is something we are incredibly proud of. 

There are some fantastic initiatives planned for the season ahead, and we are particularly excited about the upcoming events and schools’ football tournament. It’s a brilliant opportunity to bring young people together, encourage teamwork, build confidence, and create experiences that go beyond the classroom. 

We are looking forward to another successful season working alongside the Trust and continuing to make a positive difference to young people and schools across Northampton.” 

For more information on our education work, email lorna.stockwell@ntfc.co.uk or visit https://www.ntfccommunity.co.uk/education-schools  

NTFC Community Trust launch Cobblers Play Fair

NTFC Community Trust have launched ‘Cobblers Play Fair’ - a new, twelve-week programme aimed at tackling online abuse in football, in conjunction with the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Fund. 

Nine schools will be taking part in the programme, with topics ranging from bullying and online hate to discrimination and allyship. The programme will also include pan-disability, girls, and Premier League Kicks sessions. 

The programme was launched at a special event at Sixfields Stadium on Tuesday afternoon with staff from the schools involved and key local and national stakeholders invited.  

Maheta Molango, PFA CEO, said: 

“Football has a real ability to bring people together and make a positive difference in communities. That’s why we’re so pleased to support initiatives like Cobblers Play Fair, which will help young people understand the impact of discrimination and the importance of treating others with respect. 

“It’s a great example of how clubs and players can use their influence beyond the pitch, and we’re proud to work alongside Northampton Town and the Premier League to help make projects like this possible.” 

Northampton Town men’s first team player, and secondary schools ambassador, Janoi Donacien, said, 

"As a footballer, I have seen how powerful words can be, both on and off the pitch. I am proud to support Cobblers Play Fair, educating pupils about online abuse. If we can help them to recognise harmful behaviour we are creating a healthier digital future for everyone" 

Lorna Stockwell Schools Manager at NTFC Community Trust, added, 

"Thanks to the support from the PFA, I am proud to lead the Cobblers Play Fair programme. It is an important opportunity to help schools address the growing challenges of online abuse and empower young people to stay safe online and build a more positive online culture" 

Cobblers Play Fair was made possible by the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Fund. 

Administered through the Premier League Foundation, the funding helps football club charities and player foundations to work with players to tackle inequality and respond to local challenges, supporting people and their communities to be more inclusive.  

Photo credit: Pete Norton

Former academy player brings Walter Tull book to Millway School

Former Cobblers academy player Tris Koriya brought his new children’s book, inspired by the life and career of Walter Tull, to Millway Primary School on Tuesday morning for a reading and Q and A session as part of Black History Month.  

Tris introduced his own story growing up in Northampton, attending Millway School himself and led a discussion about heroes and who we look up to. He then gave a full reading of the book before taking questions. 

We were also joined by academy players Tom Goodman, Max Goodacre and Bobby Ashton, who all answered questions about their time at the club.  

Copies of Tris’ book are now available from the Northampton Town club shop, with all proceeds going towards Kick It Out.  

A big thank you to Millway Primary School for having us! 

📸 Chanelle Bradshaw