SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

More than 100 technology companies have signed up for Boycott Your Bed 2026, a charity sleepout expected to bring together more than 500 participants across four UK cities.

Participants from companies including Accenture, PwC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Siemens and Barclays are due to spend a night outdoors as part of the annual fundraiser for Action for Children. The event will take place in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Leeds.

Now in its 29th year, Boycott Your Bed has become a longstanding fixture in parts of the UK technology sector. Organisers say it has raised GBP £14.6 million for Action for Children since launching in 1998.

The sleepout aims to raise both money and awareness for vulnerable children, young people and families across the UK. Action for Children operates 342 services in communities, schools and online, and says it helped more than half a million children, young people and families in the last year.

Recent government figures cited by organisers show that more than four million children in the UK are growing up in poverty. Against that backdrop, the event asks participants to spend one night outside as a reminder of the insecurity some families face.

Although the fundraiser is open to individuals and teams from any industry, it has attracted strong backing from the technology community for nearly three decades. This year’s participating businesses also include Capgemini, Red Hat, Burberry, Specsavers, Irwin Mitchell, Kier Group and Sparta Global.

Organisers present the event as both a fundraising effort and a meeting point for people across the sector. Its mix of senior leaders, partners, customers and technology professionals has helped give the sleepout a profile beyond that of a conventional charity initiative.

Sector gathering

The level of corporate involvement suggests companies still see value in cause-led events that also create space for professional networking. In a market where firms face pressure to show social impact while maintaining industry ties, Boycott Your Bed has carved out a role that does both.

That dual purpose appears to be part of the event’s staying power. With registrations still open for a limited period, organisers expect further sign-ups before the sleepout takes place.

For Action for Children, the event provides a significant fundraising channel linked to a business audience with long-standing ties to the charity. For participating companies, it offers a visible way to support a national children’s charity while bringing staff and contacts together in an informal setting.

The format is simple: individuals and teams commit to one night outdoors in organised sleepouts staged simultaneously across the four cities, with fundraising tied to participation.

Long record

Boycott Your Bed began as a campaign to raise awareness and funds and has grown into one of the larger recurring charity gatherings associated with the UK technology industry. Organisers say more than 100 companies have already registered for this year’s edition.

The range of names on the participant list points to support from consulting firms, financial services groups, industrial businesses and software companies. That gives the event a broader corporate base than a niche sector fundraiser, even though its roots remain closely tied to the technology industry.

Ken Deeks, vice president and founder of Boycott Your Bed, commented on the scale of support and the purpose behind the event. “Understanding the reality of these challenges has been both eye-opening and deeply moving. Boycott Your Bed raises awareness of issues that can often remain hidden from view. The response from the technology community continues to be incredible, with more than 100 companies already signed up and many more expected to join before October. We anticipate more than 500 sleepers on the night, creating a fantastic opportunity for people from across the sector to come together. Importantly, sleepers will play a direct role in supporting Action for Children’s work with vulnerable children, young people and families across the UK,” Deeks said.

The UK supermarket chain is working to clean up land at its Bicester store in Villiers Road, after residents raised concerns about overgrown vegetation and litter.

The issues were highlighted by local resident Jamie Jessett, who said parts of the property appeared neglected and in need of maintenance.

Concerns focused on the permeable paving area at the front of the store, where weeds have reportedly spread across much of the surface.

Morrisons Daily to clear overgrown vegetation and litter at a ‘below acceptable standards’ Oxfordshire site (Image: Jamie Jessett)

He also raised issues about the rear yard and garage area, including overgrown brambles and weeds, as well as accumulations of litter and debris.

He said: “There is a duty to keep land clear of litter and reasonably tidy and the current condition falls well below acceptable standards, affecting public safety.”

Further concerns were expressed about discarded needles, suspected drug use and anti-social behaviour in the rear area, which borders a public play area used by children and families.

“I am very concerned”, he added, “Families and their young children are leaving or entering the play area behind the shop, which is about 20 footsteps into the tree area where I found a needle in 2023. The safety of the public needs to be taken more seriously.”

The freehold of the Morrisons Daily premises is held by Alliance Property Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Morrisons.

Responding to concerns about the site, a Morrisons spokesperson said action was already underway.

They said: “We are already working with our maintenance team to clean up the land owned by Morrisons.

“Please note that the area behind the shops is private property and strictly off-limits to the public.”

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Wull Technologies has secured £75,000 in project funding after co-founder Ruth-Marie Mackrodt won a Women in Innovation Award. She was one of 61 female founders selected by Innovate UK from more than 1,500 applications.

The funding will support the Manchester-based business as it moves its sheep wool insulation panels into the next stage of commercial development, including manufacturing scale-up, independent testing and product demonstration.

Wull Technologies is a joint venture between Vector Labs and Wool Insulation Wales. It is developing rigid insulation panels made from British sheep wool under the patent-pending LAMDA brand.

The panels are designed for internal and external solid-wall applications. They are aimed at buildings where insulation upgrades must improve thermal performance without trapping moisture, including heritage and traditional properties, as well as private retrofit and social housing projects.

Millions of solid-wall homes across the UK remain uninsulated, creating a large potential market for products tailored to older building types. During the 12-month project, Wull Technologies plans to demonstrate the panels in live building projects to support the evidence and certification needed for wider use in the construction sector.

The award also includes a 12-month package of business support, training and networking opportunities. Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation programme is marking its 10th anniversary and attracted a record 1,590 applications.

Since its launch in 2016, the programme has backed 260 female founders with more than £15 million in investment. According to Innovate UK, previous winners have gone on to secure a further £358 million in funding.

For Wull Technologies, the latest funding adds to earlier public and institutional backing. Last year, the University of Manchester Innovation Factory and Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s GM Advance Fund invested a combined £300,000 in the company, contributing £150,000 each.

Before that, the business received an Innovate UK grant of £214,000 for its initial research project. That support helped the company develop the basis of its current insulation panel work.

Mackrodt co-founded Wool Insulation Wales in 2022 and leads the Wull Technologies team alongside Technical Director Liam Britnell. The award gives the company additional support as it seeks to move from development to broader market adoption.

Commenting on the award, Mackrodt highlighted both the company’s progress and the wider case for wool-based building materials.

“I am extremely proud to have received this award, but I see it primarily as recognition of the work being undertaken by the whole Wull Technologies team and of the wider potential of British wool as an advanced material.

“Britain has a vast number of older solid-wall buildings that urgently need to become warmer and more energy efficient. That work must be carried out in a way that respects how those buildings manage moisture, rather than creating new problems that may only become visible years later.

“This award will help us move LAMDA through the next critical stage – strengthening our manufacturing process, building the independent evidence required by the construction industry and demonstrating the material in real buildings.

“It also gives us an opportunity to show that an overlooked British agricultural resource can become part of a modern, technically credible and circular manufacturing industry,” said Ruth-Marie Mackrodt, Commercial Director, Wull Technologies.

National programme

Innovate UK’s Executive Chair highlighted the scale of this year’s cohort. The programme is intended to support women building early-stage businesses across a range of sectors.

“This year’s Women in Innovation cohort represents some of the UK’s most exciting entrepreneurial talent. These founders are developing the ideas, technologies and businesses that will drive economic growth, attract investment and tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.

“Many of today’s most successful companies started with bold ideas and the right support at the right time. Through Women in Innovation, we are backing founders with the ambition, talent and determination to develop the UK’s most promising companies. Many congratulations to every member of this exceptional cohort,” said Tom Adeyoola, Executive Chair, Innovate UK.