TIM FARRON JOINS ROUGH SLEEPERS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR MANNA HOUSE

12.00.00am GMT Tue 2nd Feb 2010

South Lakes MP Tim Farron joined a team of a dozen volunteers on Saturday night who slept rough at Kendal Castle to raise funds for homeless people.

Of the volunteers, many had slept on the streets for real earlier in their lives and are now supporting Manna House in their bid to help more homeless people.

Manna House is a Kendal based charity helping vulnerable people, especially those in housing need.

Tim said, "It was a freezing cold and uncomfortable night spent out in the open. However, I can't claim that I know what it is to be homeless because I was only doing it for one night. For many people locally, living on the street is a miserable reality every night. It is so encouraging, though, to see the difference Manna House has made to the lives of those who have been homeless - helping them to find a home, to find work and to rebuild their lives"

The volunteers gathered at Manna House, based at the Shakespeare Centre off Highgate in Kendal, at 10:30 on Saturday evening and made their way up to the castle. They bedded down for the night in freezing temperatures of -6 C. As well as raising funds for Manna House, Tim and the volunteers were raising awareness of the plight of homeless people as part of British Poverty and Homelessness Week which takes place this week.