Around 20 students from Bristol University will be swapping their warm beds for sleeping bags, cardboard boxes and minus temperatures tonight, all in aid of charity. The students will be spending the night in the Students’ Union car park to raise money for the Bristol homeless charity, The Julian Trust.

According to various surveys Bristol has one of the largest numbers of homeless people outside of London. The event, organised by the University’s SCA (Student Community Action) group, seeks to raise funds for the charity and increase awareness of homelessness.

All the money raised from tonight’s event is going to The Julian Trust Nightshelter, the homeless shelter in St Pauls, which provides the homeless with food and somewhere warm to sleep. The shelter is used by between 80 to 100 people every night and provides 15 beds for homeless individuals.

Jenny Roberts, University of Bristol, SCA Project Co-ordinator, said: "Students living in Bristol frequently see homeless people and this is a real opportunity for them to help make a difference. We hope this year is going to be bigger and better than ever and really get the message across.“

The event is being held from 10.30 pm until 7 am tonight [28 November] in the Students' Union car park.

SCA is the University of Bristol’s student volunteering organisation. It aims to build positive relationships between the student body and the local community as well as meeting a social need. It runs 36 community projects and holds regular events during term time.