Street-wise fundraisers

FOUR brave kids gave up their warm beds on Thursday night for the first MACS End Youth Homelessness Sleep Out involving under-18s.

The Belfast-based charity helps keep around 1,000 young people off Northern Ireland’s streets every year.

Sixty sleep-out volunteers joined them for this year’s fundraiser on freezing concrete floors at East Belfast’s Banana Block as temperatures fell to 5 degrees. The Mirror joined them for a night of music, yoga, comedy and tea before bedding down in sleeping bags on cardboard mattresses.

Taking part were 10-year-old Colleen Massey, her big brother Keon, 11, and Ella Parker, also 10, from Newcastle.

Ella said: “I wanted to see the experience of what happens if you are homeless, what it feels like.”

Belfast lad Felix also slept out with his mum and MACS supporter

Carla Rollock.

FREEZING Ella, Colleen and Keon with their mums