Workers from a Chertsey business took part in a sponsored sleep out, raising thousands for homeless charities.

40 people from ADP’s Chertsey office took to the streets with sleeping bags in a bid to raise awareness of homelessness, managing to raise £3,050 for charities The Hope Hub and York Road Project.

Sally, who works for ADP, commented: “What a great experience this was for myself and my wonderful colleagues to take us out of our comfort zone and experience sleeping rough on the street, and give back to communities by raising money for two local charities that do really great work for the homeless.

“The temperature dropped to 4 degrees as we headed into our sleeping bags and cardboard boxes. We woke at 6.30 am and were greeted with a very welcome coffee and sandwich.”

Homelessness in the UK has continued to soar, with 440 homeless people dying the UK in the past year according to a recent report from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

The York Road Project works to support local homeless people by providing emergency and longer term accommodation for those experiencing homelessness in Woking, while The Hope Hub works in partnership with partners and agencies to prevent and end homelessness.

They offer services such as mental health support and debt advice, as well as food, clothing and healthcare access.

Sally’s colleague, Sam, added: “Doing it for one night was really hard and the thought of sleeping out again for another night made me think about how people need to do this night after night.”