RAF Help To Raise Awareness For Youth Homelessness

Forces personnel from RAF Wittering supported the homeless last night with a huge cookout in London.

They catered for an event held by homeless charity Centrepoint, which aims to raise money for rough sleepers.

Over a thousand members of the public - including celebrities - spent the night in tents by the river in Greenwich.

They were joined by celebrities, there to raise awareness of the plight of the thousands of young people sleeping rough in London this winter.

Centrepoint says the numbers of 16-25 year olds sleeping on the streets has doubled over the last six years.

Those who attended were fed by service personnel from RAF Wittering. Thirteen members of RAF personnel spent the day setting up camp, and cooking vats of food, including Sqdn Leader Steve Micklewright:

“We’ve had a long standing relationship with Centrepoint, and we’ve been doing this for several years now.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to practice our skills, as well as give something back to charity” he told us.

Some of those sleeping out include celebrities such as Scott Mills, and 2 of the stars of Love Island, Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen.

Olivia and Alex turned in early - bracing themselves for a cold night under canvas. They were joined by other sleepers - all trying to bag the best spots. Some even brought their cuddly toys for comfort.

But for the night owls, there was entertainment such as football, and for the party crowd - karaoke and dancing in the cold night air.

Centrepoint aims to raise £500,000 from the sleep out, and all the money raised will help provide vulnerable young people across the UK with a warm bed, mental health support and access to education, training and employment.

Events like this are taking place in 14 cities across the UK this autumn.