Youngsters sleep rough in Loughborough

Eleven young people have spent a night sleeping on the streets to raise money for local charities.

The 14-20 year olds are members of Charnwood Youth Council and slept rough for 12 hours in aid of two local projects, Youth Shelter and the Carpenters Arms.

The youth councillors were keen to explore the issue of homelessness amongst young people and slept in cardboard boxes on the streets of Loughborough for a night at the end of March, without any luxuries. At 1am they were fed by a soup kitchen.

The sponsored event raised several hundred pounds for both charities.

Seventeen-year-old Charlie Pearson from Loughborough took part in event and said: “I felt alone and cold right through and I was only doing it for one night.

"I can’t imagine doing it for another night – I just got a small glimpse of rough sleeping.”

Charnwood Youth Council involves young people aged 14 and 20. It is a partnership project between Charnwood Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council’s Youth Service.

The Youth Council aims to involve young people in local decision making and too play an active part in the lives of their communities.