MORE than 500 people are expected to spend a night under the stars in Winchester.

The Big Sleep Out, organised by charities Trinity Winchester and Winchester Churches Nightshelter, will raise money for the city’s homeless.

The fundraiser was launched at Winchester Cathedral on Wednesday (May 22), with Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Ernie Jeffs, on hand to lend his support.

He said: “I’ve always been impressed by the work that these people do. It’s not just keeping people off the streets, it’s all the aftercare and I have met one or two of the recipients of this sort of help and will be supporting it.

“I don’t know if we will be invited to sleep out but it is rather chilly at that time of year!”

The sleep out will take place in the cathedral grounds on September 20 and Trinity’s director of strategy and fundraising, Michelle Gardner, is encouraging people to get involved by sleeping outside for the night in return for sponsorship.

Organisers hope to top previous years’ efforts which have raised as much as £36,000.