Sleeping out to help homeless

Business leaders and VIPS in Canterbury are being challenged to give up their comfortable beds for one night and sleep in a cardboard box in aid of the homeless.

Canterbury Rotary Club is holding its annual Sleepout Challenge on September 17 in the Cathedral Precincts to raise money for Catching Lives and Porchlight.

It follows the success of their last sleepout in 2013, when £39,000 was raised.

The Rotarians are inviting 50 bosses and influential people in the city to build their own tent out of cardboard and plastic.

But an open gazebo will be providing food and drink and a roof as there is not enough room for all to sleep in their own constructed shelter.

However, those attending have to provide their own sleeping equipment.

The event aims to raise aware- ness of the extent of homelessness in the city and to promote the public’s social responsibility to help.

Only last month Porchlight revealed the number of people sleeping rough on Canterbury’s streets had almost trebled in a year.

The charity reported the city’s homelessness total had jumped from 12 to 34 in just 12 months.

Participants in the sleepout must reach the minimum requirement of raising £250 in sponsorship.

Funds raised by the Rotary Club will be evenly distributed between the two charities.

If you want to take part visit www.rotarysleepout.org

City Council chief executive Colin Carmichael