Charity founder to raise £30,000 for rough sleepers with Kilimanjaro climb

John Keogh, founder of social enterprise Ootsider, will climb Africa’s highest peak this October to fund the production of 300 sleeping coats. The coats, which can also transform into waterproof robes, are designed to protect people sleeping rough during the harshest weather conditions.

John, who founded Ootsider in 2021 after witnessing the challenges of rough sleeping, said: “Walking down Buchanan Street in Glasgow in December 2021, I realised that rough sleepers had no waterproof coats or sleeping bags. I felt a strong sense of responsibility to try to help and make their situation just a little bit better for them.

“So as a retired engineer, I took steps to establish the company and start the production of our changing robes and sleeping coats. Rough sleepers are given our coats in bags which they can then zip onto the bottom at night and use as a sleeping bag.”

John added: “We’ve achieved a lot in our first three years, but the housing crisis makes the prospect of a safe, warm home seem so unachievable for rough sleepers, so I decided to take on the Kilimanjaro challenge as a way to speed up the fundraising needed to produce our sleeping coats.”

Supporters can back the climb and Ootsider’s work by entering a prize draw to win a robe through Crowdfunder, donating directly to a General Fundraiser or giving via The Ootsider site. Every robe bought also funds more coats for rough sleepers.

Since launching, Ootsider has already distributed more than 250 sleeping coats to people across Scotland, working alongside local charities and community groups. The Kilimanjaro challenge aims to build on that success, extending support to even more people facing life on the streets.