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Hope Community Services want kindhearted people to swap their bed for a spot in their garden or on their kitchen floor in exchange for donations to help fund the charity’s hostel.

The 22-bed facility on Worksop’ Queens Street is currently at 160 per cent capacity.

Development officer Katie Chubb told how the charity was getting between four and five rough-sleeper referrals every day - following on from a huge spike in June.

Worksop homelessness charity Hope is inviting members of the public to take part in a fundraising sleep-out event

Newly-homeless people - whether escaping an abusive home or asylum seekers who don’t qualify for the Government’s Covid-19 eviction ban - continue to line-up for a roof over their heads.

However the problem is compounded by those who have not qualified for the Government’s job support scheme - which replaced the furlough scheme - struggling to stay afloat.

Katie described the predicted surge in homelessness in Bassetlaw as a ‘spiral of problems which are only getting worse as the pandemic goes on’.

Launching the sleep-out event to ‘make sure we can keep our doors open’ she said: “The idea that there will be people waking up on Christmas morning homeless in the middle of a pandemic is just heartbreaking.

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“This really can happen to anyone - whether because of joblessness or fleeing domestic violence - and as a community we’re all more vulnerable to homelessness at the moment.

“We’re asking people to help us make sure we can stay open and be there for the people who need us this Christmas.”

The Sleep Out For Hope event will be held on December 4 from 7pm-7am.

Hope are asking those taking part to set up a crowdfunding page for the charity or download a sponsorship form from their website.

Apart from paying utility bills and staff wages the money will fund food and shelter, PPE for staff as well as sleeping bags for outreach work, mental health support and much else besides.

More details can be found at the website www.hopeservices.org.uk/Event/sleep-out-for-hope.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.

Worksop homelessness charity asks public to sleep out in support of rough sleepers

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.