Sleeping rough for Bristol homeless charities
More than 60 people spent a damp night sleeping rough in Bristol to raise money for local charities supporting the homeless.
Volunteers aged between 14 and 81, did their best to get a few hours sleep on Friday night in the grounds of Pip 'n' Jay Church on Tower Hill, despite low temperatures and drizzly rain.
Alan, who works for Crisis Centre Ministries and Alabaré Christian Care Centres in Bristol, used to live on the streets in Cardiff after his relationship with his family broke down when he became addicted to alcohol.
He said: "It brought back a lot of horrible memories. At least this time, when I got up in the morning I knew I was going home to get clean and warm."
"But when you're homeless, you wake up and realise you have to walk around outside all day, find some food, and then do the same thing the next night. I think it was good for people to realise what the conditions can be like for people living on the streets."
He estimated that there are more than 50 people sleeping rough in Bristol every night.
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