Directors at a Warwick-based property developer took to the streets of Leamington to raise thousands of pounds for a local charity and increase awareness about people sleeping rough this winter.

Adrian Clack, Managing Director of L&Q Estates, along with senior strategic land manager Natasha Brand, technical director Katherine Snell, associate land director Kathryn Hemingway and associate planning directors Sarah Griffiths and Stuart Field initially set a tally of £2,000 to reach for the Big Sleepout 2023.

But after reaching that amount with weeks to spare, the colleagues at one of the leading strategic land developers in the UK have already exceeded their new £6,000 target.

As well as sleeping in the grounds of All Saints Church in Leamington, the entire team at L&Q Estates has been busy raising money for charity by holding an office collection in lieu of the usual Secret Santa activities.

Adrian said it was the first time he had taken part in the Big Sleepout and it had provided a valuable insight into homelessness.

"Homelessness is a real problem throughout the UK and this was an opportunity to spend a night on the streets to get an insight into what homelessness really entails," he said.

"It was a cold night but very heart warming and we all went through a wide range of emotions.

"There was a soup kitchen van to provide a hot meal and drinks before we started but I think one of the most striking aspects is that however cold we felt on Friday night, we knew we were going home on Saturday morning to a hot shower and breakfast."

The aim of the Big Sleepout is to raise vital funds for homeless and vulnerable adults locally, to help people who have left their homes because of mental health issues, domestic abuse, relationship breakdowns and isolation as well as helping them start to acquire skills such as NVQs to try and get back into work and make positive contributions to the area.

"We are delighted to have achieved our £2,000 fundraising target and we have more than doubled it and reached £6,000 since it will make a massive difference to homeless people and those re-building their lives in Warwickshire," Adrian concluded.

L&Q Estates' vision is that everyone deserves a quality home that provides them with the opportunity to live a better life.

That is not the case for many in Warwickshire, with a new report from homeless charity Shelter – which was released in January – finding that 2,208 people in Coventry and Warwickshire are currently classed as homeless, with the vast majority (2,190) living in temporary accommodation, and a further 18 sleeping rough.

L&Q Estates has been promoters and developers of residential, commercial and mixed-use communities for over 60 years, placing it at the forefront of facilitating much-needed private and affordable housing required to solve the current housing crisis.

Based in Warwick, it is part of L&Q Group, which is one of the UK's leading housing associations and developers.