I spent some time homeless and roughing it on the streets as a teenager and faced the prospect again 18mths ago as a disabled person and wheelchair user, due to my council having no accessible places. This isn't solely an issue in Northamptonshire, where I live, there's a housing crisis for people with disabilities and huge shortage of accessible homes across the UK.

Which is why on Friday 7th Feb 25, I'll be once again roughing it, though thankfully for only 12hrs, in the car park of Mercure Hotel, Northampton, to illustrate how it feels to be a rough-sleeper with disabilities, on one of the coldest times of the year!

Hope’s Big SleepOut has, for the past 12 years, raised over £20,000 each year for people who are homeless and vulnerable in our community. The 2025 event is called ‘Cold and Unseen’, helping participants understand the impact homelessness has on the lives of so many people in the local community.

I'll be sleeping out for 12 hours with just a sleeping bag and a cardboard or plastic shelter, and will be keeping a video diary and live streaming it, so your support would be greatly appreciated.