Faith

On the back of last year's successful sleep-out, in the cloisters of Salisbury Cathedral, five more Wiltshire venues are offering up floor space for Alabare's annual Sleep Out 2008… and one of them's a graveyard

Last year, following some of Wiltshire's coldest winter weather, over 100 volunteer sleeper outers brought their duvets along to bed down on the flagstones of Salisbury Cathedral for the night.

And with the gates to the Cloisters officially locked at 11:30 pm… there was no escape until 6:30am the next morning.

This year the sleep-outs (and for those boasting fewer togs in their duvets) sleep-ins  are being held in and out of five new Wiltshire locations on the night of February 29th, 2008:

Home for the night

According to the Alabaré's press release: "People living in and around Wiltshire are being asked to use their extra day this Leap Year to help the homeless by joining one of Alabaré's Sleep Outs or Ins.

"The Sleep Outs/Ins are a great way to make people think about the challenges faced by rough sleepers, at the same time as raising awareness of the work of Alabaré."

Last year over £22,000 was raised for local Drop-In Centres in Salisbury, Trowbridge and Devizes and this year the Salisbury-based Christian group is hoping that the event will be even bigger and better with a series of events on the same night.

Sleep Outs/Ins are being held at the following venues:

• Trowbridge: Bethesda Baptist Church (Indoors)
  Raising money for the Trowbridge Drop In Centre
• Edington: Edington Priory Church (Indoors)
  Raising money for the Devizes and Trowbridge Drop In Centres
• Salisbury: St Marks Church (Indoors)
  Raising money for the Salisbury Drop In Centre
• Wilton: St Mary and St Nicholas Church (Indoors)
  Raising money for Barford Countryside Unit

"We also have a couple of sleepers doing their own event at St Thomas' Church in Salisbury City Centre,” says Lara Higgins Alabaré's Marketing and Trust Fundraising Assistant, "which could be seen as a night in amongst the graves! Rather them than me!”

So if you like the idea of spending a night in a graveyard with just a sleeping bag for warmth or you would like to take part in one of the Sleep Ins call Yvonne Way or Tony Richmond on 08450 78 68 08.