Sleep-out makes £17,000 for homeless charity

People took part in the 12-hour Big Sleep-Out to raise money for The Hope Centre

A charity that supports homeless people with a sleep-out says it has raised more than £17,000 from this year's event on Friday night.

The Hope Centre, in Northampton, has been running The Big Sleep-Out for over a decade, raising money and awareness on homelessness.

Kyra Williams, head of marketing for the charity, said £12,564 was raised from donations via on-site attendees, and a further £4,690 from local Scout groups.

The charity reported a 30% increase in the number of people who have used its services over the past year, and is now seeing about 65 people a day.

Last month, Hope repurposed its office area, which is next to its hub in Campbell Street, to make room for 35 beds for rough sleepers.

Ms Williams emphasised the importance of collaboration with local authorities to find solutions to homelessness.

"Working together, you can find solutions. That is the way forward," she said.

Kyra Williams says working with local authorities has helped find solutions for people who are homeless

Nick Wilson took part in the sleep-out to raise awareness on rough sleeping

Nick Wilson, who took part in the sleep-out, had experience of sleeping on the streets before joining the Army.

"I want to raise awareness of how homelessness doesn't equate to just rough sleeping," he said.

"I found this out 16 months ago when my landlord sold the property from under me."

Adam Brown, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council, said: "With growing demand and increased pressures on services, we need to identify new ways of working to best utilise our resources and meet people's needs."

The council started a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy last year, with an aim of building 650 affordable homes a year by 2029-30.