Park sleepout raises £8k for homeless charity

The fundraiser attracted 20 people who slept out on Friday night

A fundraising sleepout has raised £8,000 for a charity dedicated to preventing and relieving poverty and homelessness.

Kettering-based Accommodation Concern hosted the event at Wicksteed Park, Northamptonshire, from 20:00 GMT on Friday until 07:00 on Saturday.

Kettering mayor Emily Fedorowycz and Corby mayor Leanne Buckingham were among 20 people who took part.

Charity chief executive Jo Moore said she was "overwhelmed by the support shown at our fundraising event".

Jordan St Germain, from Wicksteed Park, praised the "positivity of local people to help others in need"

“Spending just one night in the cold was a real challenge and it really helped to bring home the challenges faced daily by far too many people in the area," she added.

The charity provides supported accommodation for single homeless people and offers advice on housing, debt and benefits.