5 years ago... IT chiefs sleep rough for charity

17.07.98: Top figures in the IT industry will sleep on London's streets for a night as part of a fundraising campaign. The money will be used to purchase houses for young homeless people in the UK.

John Higgins, director general of the CSSA, is one of those planning to sleep out, as is Andy Palmer, UK MD of 3Com, and the heads of Software AG, Agresso and Unify Corporation.

Managing directors each have to raise £1,000 through sponsorship before taking part in the 'Sleep on the Streets' project, which is being organised by NCH Action for Children. The event is likely to take place in early September.

An NCH spokeswoman said: "We are approaching the IT industry because we share a common deadline. It needs to solve the millennium bug by 2000, and we want to eradicate homelessness by then."

17.07.03: Homelessness is still a major problem, but you can't really hold that against the NCH. It was never going to be eradicated by 2000, but the work which Byte Night has done over the years to alleviate the problem has been invaluable, and it has become one of the most important dates in the UK IT calendar.

This year's fifth anniversary event will take place on 19 September in Finsbury Square, London. Anybody who wants to get involved or find out more about what they can do to help, should visit www.bytenight.org.uk.