A CHARITY sleepout gave dignitaries and volunteers a glimpse at what it means to sleep rough in High Wycombe - and raised more than £20,000 for work to help the homeless this winter.

Wycombe MP Steve Baker was among 45 volunteers on Saturday night who braved the elements to help raise the impressive amount at the event, organised by the Wycombe Homeless Connection.

The Eden Shopping Centre hosted the sponsored sleepout, where cardboard shelters and sleeping bags provided inadequate comfort as temperatures plummeted, giving volunteers an insight into the challenges faced every day by the town’s homeless population.

Mr Baker described the experience as "horrible", whilst Dreams tycoon Mike Clare, a fellow ‘sleepouter’, was thankful the weather has remained unseasonably mild for mid-November. He said: "It was a relatively cushy experience - what would it have been like if it had been ten degrees colder?"

Meanwhile, Wycombe District Councillor Maz Hussain admitted that he had ben left "cold and paranoid at about 5am".

The event, also visited by the town’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor, was hailed a huge success by charity bosses.

Sheena Dykes, chair of trustees and sleepout participant, said: "We were all very stiff and sore in the morning. The experience will remain with us all for a long, long time. I am so grateful to all the participants, sponsors and, of course, to Eden Shopping Centre for providing a safe venue for the night".

Those taking part were sustained by hot pizza donated by Pizza Express and Tesco bacon butties the following morning.

Daniel Tomkinson, Centre Director at Eden Shopping Centre said: "We were delighted to play host to The Wycombe Homeless Connection and their brave supporters who spent the night in our service yard. It was such an important event to be part of and was a great success in raising awareness and much needed funds. The charity does amazing work and we will continue to support them in the future."

To sustain the work that Wycombe Homeless Connection achieves, the charity needs to raise at least £150,000 a year; the team relies on public donations as well as the work carried out by volunteers.

More volunteers are needed for the Castle Street charity - visit www.wyhoc.org.uk for more information on how you can get involved.