A FAMILY spent 28 hours sleeping rough over the weekend to raise money for charity.

Lee Clark was joined by his daughters Isabelle and Emily, plus his best friend Robbie Cameron, when they slept on cardboard in sleeping bags outside Tesco Express in Southchurch Road, Southend, from Friday lunchtime until Saturday evening.

He said: “We each had sleeping bags, and we had cardboard to sit on.

“We were not allowed any food or drinks; we could only accept that if we got brought it by the public and community.”

Isabelle and Emily, both 11, have been taking on the rough sleeping challenge with their dad since 2016. This year the challenge was in aid of a mix of local and national charities - Southend Foodbank, The Project, Charlie Boy’s Angels and The Community Sports Foundation (CSF).

The sisters recently had their fundraising efforts recognised with a Jack Petchey Award, which recognises outstanding achievements by young people across London and Essex.

And earlier this year Lee, Isabelle and Emily also won the Echo’s Local Heroes award for their years of fundraising.

Lee, who works in the Tesco store that they slept outside, added: “We have been doing this since 2016, we do it once a year, around this time as it is a bit colder.

“I want my girls to realise how lucky they are and to see it from ground level of a homeless person. When people walk past them you tend to look down on them, and this is a great eyeopener to see what they actually go through - and it is a real struggle.

“It gets everyone talking, it raises awareness which is just important, and it gives people a conversation to ask what we are doing, and we can spread awareness around the homelessness here.

“I just feel proud of them.”

Last year’s sleepout raised more than £2,000, but the family are hoping to beat that this time.

To make a donation online visit bit.ly/3ddSKfY