Homelessness and rough sleeping don’t just affect big cities. We also have these scourges here today in Powys. They can come about through changes in personal circumstances or on a massive scale through a disaster.  Newtown Rotary Club want to raise funds to support organisations that assist people who become homeless or that work to divert people away from a path that leads to homelessness.  To do this we have gathered together volunteers who are willing to spend a night sleeping in a cardboard box and who will bring sponsorship with them. We have sought the involvement of local leaders, maybe from community groups, commerce, politics or sports clubs and have 30 participants. The date of the Big Rough Sleep Out is Friday 18 May.  Funds raised will be split between local and international organisations. In particular we expect to support the Newtown Foodbank, Ponthafren Association, The Wallich, Shelterbox and Disaster Aid UK & Ireland but there will be others.  We are so pleased to be supported in this by NPTC Group who are allowing us to use the Newtown College campus for our venue.  Whilst this is a challenge event it is not intended to replicate the experiences of people who are homeless. We have catering in place for hot drinks through the night and the Rapid Relief Team from Newtown will be providing our volunteers with a breakfast on Saturday morning.  We may even have a camp fire and some entertainment for those volunteers who cannot get to sleep.