MORE than 100 people slept on a concourse at Oakwell last night to raise money for young homeless people.

The stunt, which saw ordinary folk swap their warm beds for a sleeping bag on the cold concrete, was organised by the local branch of the homeless charity Centrepoint.

People gathered at the east stand from early evening, bracing themselves for an uncomfortable night ahead and a glimpse of what life on the streets can be like for people with nowhere to go.

Proceeds from the event will used to pay for sports programmes for homeless young people, delivered by the charity and football club.

It is expected to raise about £20,000, replicating the success of other sleep-out events held in other towns and cities.

Centrepoint supports about 70 young people in Barnsley, providing them with accommodation and support to help turn their lives around by gaining essential life skills, tackling any physical and mental health issues and helping them get into education or employment.

The sleep-out was sponsored by the ASOS Foundation and XPO Logistics after bosses saw firsthand the vital work the charity does to help young people turn their lives around, with ASOS already funding two new health professionals at its Barnsley centre.

Chiefs from the online fashion retailer travelled up from London for the event, joined by Faye Edmondson, Centrepoint's fund-raising manager.

Ahead of the event Faye told the Chronicle: "It would be impossible to replicate the true terror of spending a night on the streets with nowhere else to go but the idea is that people will feel the cold and experience the discomfort which homeless young people have had to endure.

"We do try to make it a bit of fun and we want people to have a nice time so we've got some local musicians coming down and we're running a shelter building competition.

"But then the reality hits when people are having to bed down on the cold hard floor and in this case sleeping on a concrete floor.

"The reason we do it on a Thursday night is because 90 per cent of the people will have to go to work the next day and that reality of not having a great night's sleep and not having a shower or putting your make up on will hit when they are at work at midday, grateful they can go home to a bed and clean up.

"Sleep Out is a lot of fun but there's a serious side to it.

"The young people we work with in Barnsley are fantastic and there is a real sense of community and that everyone want to improve their circumstances and get involved."