GRAND Central staff are grabbing their sleeping bags and hot water bottles and heading out into the cold, cold night in aid of charity Centrepoint later this month.

Staff will join workers from companies such as Yorkshire Building Society, Nissan and Gordons Solicitors in the charity’s sleepout in Bradford on Thursday, November 22.

Centrepoint has been holding sleepovers for more than ten years to provide an insight into the challenges faced by those sleeping rough.

Grand Central Rail has been supporting the charity for three years, providing rail travel support, work experience and sponsorship to help give young homeless people a better future.

Grand Central’s chief operating officer Sean English said: “Even just spending one night in the bitter November cold was a real eye-opening experience and, though nothing comes close to the real challenges faced, it really made me think about some of the hardships young homeless people encounter every single day.”

Centrepoint Bradford, which supports more than 150 homeless young people every day, will be holding its event at Valley Parade. Grand Central staff have already raised in excess of £1,000 in sponsorship.

“We are hugely grateful for everything Grand Central Rail have done to support Centrepoint’s work over the course of our partnership so far,” says Di Gornall, Centrepoint’s director of fundraising.

“From sleeping out in Bradford and Sunderland to helping our young people access opportunities across the country by providing train travel for them, your support has been and continues to be invaluable in delivering life-changing support and services to homeless 16 to 25-year-olds. Thank you to everyone at Grand Central Rail and I look forward to watching our partnership grow in the years to come.”

Grand Central is about to launch its new youth ambassadors scheme in Sunderland, which will work with vulnerable young people to provide work experience and mentoring opportunities.

“Homelessness, especially youth homelessness, is something that has been close to my heart for a good number of years,” Mr English added.

“We really want to do more in raising awareness and supporting some very talented youngsters who just need a little bit of our help. We are working very closely with Centrepoint in developing a traineeship for a small number of young people and we can really make these type of initiatives happen from events like Sleepout.”