MORE than 20 people slept in a church yard to raise awareness and funds for an Ipswich homeless charity.The event was organised by the Ipswich Primary Care Trust's homeless team and hopes to have raised £5,000.

MORE than 20 people slept in a church yard to raise awareness and funds for an Ipswich homeless charity.

The event was organised by the Ipswich Primary Care Trust's homeless team and hopes to have raised £5,000.

The money will go towards tackling health issues arising from people sleeping rough.

Kathy Cubbitt, nurse practitioner for the team, said: "We held the event so we can empathise with people who have to sleep outside every night and many of the people we help came to join us.

"There are many health problems that arise from sleeping rough and the money raised from this event will go toward treating those problems.

"We want to do something to help these people because in this day and age nobody should be forced to live on the streets of Ipswich."

The event started at 9pm at St Mary Le Tower Church, Tower Street, and among those sleeping out was St Margarets Councillor, Inga Lockington.

She said: "As a councillor in Ipswich I am well aware of the problems people have who live on the streets.

"I have been serving food from the soup kitchen on Tower Street for seven years and think it is a very important cause. I hope we have all helped out by taking part in this event."