Three teams of staff members from Kingdom Housing Association took part in the world’s largest ever sleep out at the weekend, raising a staggering £10,264.65 to tackle homelessness in the process.

Fourteen staff joined over 8,000 people in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens on December 9 for the Sleep in the Park event launched by Social Bite.

The aim of the fundraising was to help eradicate homelessness over a five-year period by providing people with housing, rehabilitation, job opportunities and the support they need to get back on their feet.

Team Kingdom was the corporate team and they raised over £7300. The team consisted of Kerri Gell, Korran Shean, Leigh Shearer, Sean Whittet and Erin Duffy.

Kerri Gell, a ‘Team Kingdom’ member, said: “I was delighted to be take part in Social Bite’s Sleep in the Park as part of Team Kingdom. It was something completely different and it was great fun raising so much money for an incredible charity. On the night sleeping out in -6° was an uncomfortable and very cold experience however we still had the luxury of knowing we were safe whilst doing it and in the morning we would be heading back to a warm home and bed.

“For homeless people facing sleeping rough every single day is unimaginable, especially at this time of year. Every donation to Social Bite makes a big difference to another person’s life and goes towards the objective of eradicating homelessness. Thank you to every single person who helped us raise this incredible amount!”

Korran Shean, another ‘Team Kingdom’ member, said: “We knew it was going to be a tough night from the start, but no words can even come close to describing how tough it actually was. Temperatures reached -5/6°. We were all fortunate enough to be going home to our warm houses with food on the table and people who care about us the following morning. It’s absolutely heart-breaking to think there are people out there doing this night after night with very little and alone. Social Bite is an incredible cause and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it. It’s a memory that will live with me for the rest of my life. A humbling, eye opening experience.”

The two other teams from Kingdom were Team ‘Class on Grass’ and Team ‘Pigs in Blankets’, consisting of Abbie Brockie, Ashley Lyon, Ashley McKnight, Carole-Ann Glennie, Fiona Ross, Jamie McCunnie, Joanne Aitken, Robin Penman and Jodie Clarke.

Bill Banks, chief executive with Kingdom, said: “All the staff at Kingdom are very proud of all their colleagues who participated in the event and the fantastic efforts they made to raise so much money for such a worthwhile cause.”

Bill added: “I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all the companies, partner organisations we work with and individuals for their very generous donations which greatly assisted the Kingdom teams to raise such a tremendous amount.”