Dear all,

On Friday 9th October, the Perez-Hernandez Sainz family (except for Gabi who is not yet 12 years old) together with Ines Bunge and Ana Miranda (friends of Maria) will give up our warm and comfortable beds to sleep rough on the street at Duke of York Square alongside 300 people. WHY? We would like to raise funds for a very worthwhile local charity, Glass Door (formerly West London Churches Homeless Concern) for which Cristina has been volunteering since shortly after we moved to London. 

Glass Door runs London's largest winter night shelter for the homeless as well as offering advice and support to find people stable accommodation and work. Last year, over 120 men and women found jobs with the help of the charity and 98 moved into more permanent accommodations.  

The overall target for the event is to raise £150,000 so they can run two shelters in West London all winter long to provide safe, warm and dry shelter as well as food and support up to 100 rough sleepers every night from November to April. 

We know it won't be an easy experience but we do know it's only for one night. Then we will be back in our own beds at home. The people who are truly homeless have no other option but to sleep rough on the street night after night during the whole winter. We sleep out one night so that others don't have to sleep out this winter. 

We are aware you have many calls on your generosity, but if you would like to help, please sponsor us to sleep out with just a sleeping bag and mat for comfort –whatever the weather - 

To find out more about the charity, go to http://www.glassdoor.org.uk

A few facts and figures:

£10 will provide a rough sleeper with a sleeping bag and mat

£20 will accommodate and feed a rough sleeper for one night in the shelter

£60 covers the cost of providing a hot evening meal for upwards of 60 people in the shelter

Thank you! Any donation, no matter how small, will be very much appreciated!