<p>On the night of 25th November 2011 I'll be giving up the comfort of my warm bed and will instead be sleeping on the ground outside Manchester Cathedral to highlight some of the challenges that homeless people have to face every night.</p> <p>The prospect of lying on some cold and damp cardboard&nbsp;when it will probably be minus&nbsp;20 isn't what I'd usually consider a fitting way to spend a Friday night, so why&nbsp;would I do something so absurd?</p> <p>Well the answer is simple: to raise money for an amazing charity - the Booth Centre - which provides a huge amount of help to anyone who finds themselves homeless in Manchester. They don't just dish out food and drink (although it's always available), but provide lots of practical&nbsp;advice and support&nbsp;to people who - to be honest - don't have many places left to turn.</p> <p>Over the last couple of years the number of people coming to the centre for help has increased dramatically, which is at least in part due to the economic downturn and cuts to local housing services. This means that&nbsp;now more than ever, individual donations to the charity can make an enormous difference to the lives of homeless people - so please dig deep!</p> <p>Thank you so much for your support</p> <p>Claire xx</p>