Charity directors sleep rough so others don't have to!

The Chief Executive of YMCA London South West (YMCALSW) and Operations Director of Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness (KCAH) joined more than 125 other hardy souls to sleep rough in the centre of Kingston on Saturday night.

The event, a first for Kingston, took place at the Memorial Gardens in Kingston town centre; it started at 6pm on Saturday 30th January and included talks on how the YMCA and KCAH are tackling homelessness in the borough, a shelter building competition as well as giant Connect 4 and other supersized games. Hot soup and rolls were provided by John Lewis during the evening and the event culminated with a free McDonald's breakfast at 6am on Sunday.

Participants in the event included directors and staff at both YMCA London South West and Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness; local councillors - Ian George and Bart Ricketts; local church youth groups and numerous members of the public.

Despite sub zero temperatures, 125 people took part in the event and sponsorship pledges totalled £15,000. Proceeds from the event will be split 50/50 between the YMCA and KCAH.

Sarah Barnes, Fundraising Volunteer at the YMCA concluded, ' This is the first time that we have run this event and we are absolutely delighted with the amount raised. It has exceeded all expectations. These funds will really help the YMCA and KCAH help people who find themselves homeless to build a brighter future. Thank you to everyone who has taken part and supported us.'