Getting the message across - Stef Pearson and Susie Knights at the YMCA Sleep Easy! event on Saturday night. Photo: Bill Smith

A small city of cardboard shelters sprang up at Carrow Park on Saturday night when around 80 people slept under the stars to help the homeless.

The YMCA Norfolk Sleep Easy event was held on the Community Sports Foundation football pitch next Norwich City’s stadium.

YMCA supporters and staff were sponsored to spend the night sleeping rough in the rain, snow and freezing temperatures and organisers hope the challenge will raise over £10,000 to help tackle homelessness.

YMCA Norfolk chief executive, Tim Sweeting, said: “It is great to have the support of such a wide range of people and companies and although it is not the same as sleeping rough on the streets, our hope is that participants will get some kind of insight into what it is like to homeless, cold and hungry on the streets - something which happens every single night of the year in Norwich.”

Groups from City College, Arcadis, Hilltop Café, Thurlow Nunn, Insight Financial Associates, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Thorpe House Langley School and the University of East Anglia all supported the event.