There's still time to sign up to a Leamington-based charity's big sleep out event

The event is free, but the charity is asking participants to try fundraise a minimum amount of £50 per individual taking part
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A Leamington-based charity that helps homeless and vulnerable people will be bringing back its 'big sleep out' event for a seventh year.

Helping Hands works with vulnerable and homeless people in the district by providing much-needed help through a soup kitchen, their cafe in Warwick, skills training and their ‘House2Home’ service, which provides household items that the tenants could not afford to buy themselves.

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It is bringing back the sleep out event once again and are hoping to raise money so it can continue to support its projects.

Helping Hands will be bringing back its 'big sleep out' event for the seventh year. Photos by Helping HandsHelping Hands will be bringing back its 'big sleep out' event for the seventh year. Photos by Helping Hands
Helping Hands will be bringing back its 'big sleep out' event for the seventh year. Photos by Helping Hands

The event is taking place tonight (October 22) and people are still welcome to sign up.

A spokesperson from Helping Hands said: "We are delighted to be able to announce that the Helping Hands Big Sleepout is back for the seventh year.

"We have the High Sherriff of Warwickshire joining us to sleepout.

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"Rob Miller from Wasps Rugby will be joining us to share his experience of volunteering with us and we have Kineton army cadets, representative homeless veterans and lots of other amazing people taking part.

"Fine and Country are sleeping out for their sixth consecutive year with us and always raise lots of money for homeless charities such as ours.

"The last 18 months have been incredibly hard with so many fundraisers cancelled and income streams cut.

"This has put great pressure on the charity at a time when our clients are needing us more than ever.

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"We are now serving between 400 and 500 meals at our soup kitchen a month.

"We are getting increased referrals from Refuge, Housing Association and Probation.

"The number of women registered with our Esther Project has risen from 18 to 40 since the start of the pandemic and we have supported 100 families and individuals through our House2Home Project so far this year.

"We are so happy to be hosting the Big Sleepout again, back doing what we love and hopefully raising some desperately needed funds so that we can continue to support our projects."

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The sleep out event will be taking place from 8pm to 8am at the grounds of All Saints Parish Church in Leamington

The event is free, but the charity is asking participants to try fundraise a minimum amount of £50 per individual taking part.