MORE than 400 people will give up their beds for the night to take part in homeless charity Centrepoint’s largest ever sleep out in Spitalfields Market tonight (Thursday).

The sixth annual sleep out aims to raise money for the national youth homelessness charity’s Home for Christmas campaign, which aims to raise over half a million for homeless young people, to help house and support them over the Christmas period.

Joining the event this year are a host of celebrity supporters from the world of entertainment, including Loose Women presenter Lisa Maxwell, Radio One DJ Sara Cox, singer, radio and television presenter Mica Paris, interior designer Meg Matthews, Dan Gillespie from The Feeling and singer David McAlmont.

The event is supported by Centrepoint’s Patron, Prince William, who showed his support to the charity last year by spending a night on the streets near Blackfriars Bridge.

He said: “Centrepoint’s sleep out enables their supporters to show solidarity with homeless young people whilst raising valuable funds to provide life-saving and life-changing support to young people affected by it.

“The more people who can understand the desolation caused by homelessness, the more Centrepoint can try to provide support to young people affected by it.”

Every day Centrepoint supports and provides accommodation for homeless young people. Many of the young people that the Charity supports have experienced domestic abuse, family breakdown, poverty, and increasingly, the devastating truth behind Britain’s knife and gun culture.

Centrepoint has spent 40 years helping over 70,000 homeless young people to reach their potential and have a brighter future.

Centrepoint boss Seyi Obakin said: “It’s great that so many people have pledged to give up their beds for the night to experience a small slice of sleeping rough. It is a cruel reality that thousands of young people face every day.

“Sadly, the big difference is those who are homeless will not have the luxury of heading home to shower and warm up the next morning.

“Sleep out helps to highlight youth homelessness, but also provides vital funds to help give more homeless young people a safe place to sleep and opportunities that will help them become independent, so that they can start to build a brighter future.”