IT charity employs flash mob tactics

A flash mob descended on Potters Field, next to City Hall in London, this morning - not to protest against mayor Ken Livingstone's latest policies but to draw attention to Byte Night, an annual sleepout by the IT industry in aid of children's charity NCH.

Dozens of participants ran from a meeting point, behind the iconic City Hall edifice, to a grassy public space, where they lay down for a couple of minutes, some under blankets and sleeping bags.

Click here to watch a video of the flash mob.

To the confused stares of some onlookers - others simply ignored the spectacle, in true London style - the group then got up and dispersed.

Byte Night

The annual sleepout by the IT industry in aid of children's charity NCH taking place on 5 October 2007. For more information on Byte Night see www.bytenight.org.uk or call Charlotte Lunn on 020 7704 7042.

Flash mobs are typically organised on the fly and in the past have seen groups - often made up of young people, in touch via mobile phones, websites or email groups - turn up at the same time at restaurants and other places. One famously featured couples all kissing for a minute before heading their separate ways.

One participant, architect Pascal Wensink, said he had heard about the flash mob by word of mouth rather than flash mob websites or by text message. Before the run and lie down he said: "I might take part this year - I want to see what happens here first."

Another attendee, IT consultant Jamie Dawson, said finding the time, just before office hours, was no problem. "I'm happy to be here," he said.

Paul Renney, a lawyer at Campbell Hooper and Byte Night board member, told silicon.com: "I'm very positive about this year's event. There is a lot of energy and we're still seeing fresh ideas."

Besides using a flash mob to drum up publicity ahead of the 5 October sleepout, Byte Night has introduced Byte Night Local, which allows those who can't make the main London event to use their own back gardens or congregate in smaller groups in other towns and cities.

Sam Clarke, an NCH fundraising manager, said sponsorship is already going well this year - £50,000 has been "raised and received" against a target of £325,000 - and that the local element has seen groups set up in towns such as Luton and Reading.

One example is professional services company BDO Stoy Hayward. It has around 18 people sleeping out on its corporate grounds in Reading, with "others welcome", said NCH's Clarke.

For more information on Byte Night, which takes place on Friday 5 October this year, see www.bytenight.org.uk or call Charlotte Lunn on 020 7704 7042.