LOCAL politicians and business owners will sleep out all night in a bid to raise awareness of homelessness.

Worcester Warriors will hold the annual ‘Worcester Big Sleep Out’ at Sixways in April.

Representatives from Warriors, Warriors Community Foundation, St Paul’s Hostel and Maggs Day Centre will brave the outdoors for an evening.

The event hopes to reach their target of £45,000 in donations, which will be split between Warriors Community Foundation’s Homeless Rugby Team, as well as the hostel and day centre.

This year the Sleep Out is being sponsored by local firms Andrew Grant, and Lowe’s Solicitors with the aim to have at least 150 people take part.

Warriors players Chris Pennell and Justin Clegg joined representatives of the three charities to officially launch the event.

It will be the third consecutive year that Sixways has been the venue for the sleep out.

Mr Clegg said: “Homelessness is such an important cause. There are so many people struggling in Worcester and anything we can do to raise awareness and money for the three charities can only help to improve conditions for them,”

Kristian Stott, chief executive of Andrew Grant, said the Worcestershire estate agent wants to help raise awareness of the issue of homelessness in Worcester.

“We want to raise awareness of the desperate issues in our city,” she said.

“Homelessness is one of society’s great challenges, which in today’s world seems so unnecessary and yet so hard to solve.

“Andrew Grant is privileged to sell some of the UK’s most beautiful homes, but we are always aware that there are many people who, for all sorts of reasons, aren’t lucky enough to have a roof over their head.”

Worcester-based Lowe’s Solicitors specialise in family law and caring for people in the local community.

“We are delighted to support The Big Worcester Sleep Out and do anything we can to help those less fortunate than ourselves,” said Tracy Lowe, managing director of Lowe’s Solicitors.

“We ask everyone who reads this to support this event in any way possible.”