IN PICTURES: Albany’s Big Sleepout raises more than $44,000 for local agencies on frontline of homelessness

Fundraisers young and old packed into an Albany Agricultural Society exhibition pavilion on Saturday night for the seventh Albany Big Sleepout to support people battling homelessness. About 65 sleepers camped out for the Albany Community Foundation’s annual event, raising a record $44,100 and counting. All the money raised will be made available to local support organisations to provide immediate support to people in crisis through the Albany Community Homelessness Fund. This year’s biggest fundraisers included the team from Merrifield Real Estate which brought in a whopping $20,200. Little Hands for Tomorrow, a group of Year 2 students from Great Southern Grammar co-ordinated by seven-year-old Elke Bray, raised $3090. Last year’s top fundraiser Amali Nizam Wood raised more than $2900. Local agencies including Pivot Support Services, Albany Youth Association, Anglicare WA, Albany Foodbank and the Albany Street Chaplains hosted stalls for sleepers to learn more about their work and who they support. The crowd was entertained by AYSA’s music students and the Great Southern Grammar Band, with Albany’s Rapid Response Team cooking up hot meals.