PolSoc charity sleep-out

**Warwick Politics Society held a 24-hour sleep-out in Coventry War Memorial Park to raise money for a local charity on February 27.**

The sleep-out ran from 8pm to 8am and was in aid of the Coventry Cyrenians, who provide support services to homeless and vulnerable young people and adults in the Coventry area.

Six Politics Society members were joined by four representatives from Coventry Cyrenians, Politics and International Studies student experience officer Charlotte Lewis and Biomedical Sciences student James Beavis, who raised over £24,000 for homeless charity Crisis by sleeping rough for eight nights in London last Christmas.

The 12 students were equippedwith sleeping bags, water and emergency medical supplies but mobiles, money and electrical internet devices were disallowed.

Oliver Rice appeared on the Vic Minett Afternoon Show on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire before and after the sleep-out to raise awareness for the charity and of the problem of homelessness in the local area.

After joking that he didn’t feel the cold as “I’m a northerner”, he expressed his gratitude to those who donated to the cause.

“£500 may not be a lot to a large charity, but to Coventry Cyrenians it really means a lot, and knowing that warms your heart,” he said.

Charlie McKnight, charity officer for the Politics Society and organiser of the event, said: “We only did one night on the streets. There are 100,000 other homeless people in England right now.

“My thoughts go out to all of them who have to do what we did that night all over again tonight. We all had a moment when we woke up and desperately wished we were back home, then within moments realised that we actually have a home to go to.”

Warwick Politics Society has raised over £650. Donate online at: http://www.justgiving.com/warwicksleepout.