A SAUCHIE woman has spent an evening sleeping on the streets of Edinburgh in a bid to raise awareness of youth homelessness in Scotland.

Karen Anderson joined hundreds others and braced the chilly November weather for the 2015 Sleep Out event arranged by the Rock Trust.

Along with her college classmates and lecturers, she left behind home comforts for a brief sample of living rough, while at the same time raising more than £1,000 for the charity.

The 26-year-old told the Advertiser that although the experience gave her some insight into what homeless people endure, the main aim was to ​​raise ​​money ​​and ​​awareness ​​of ​​their plight.​

She said: “We all really felt the cold but we are extremely grateful that we were able to take part in the event and I for one will never forget the experience.

“We had thermals on and had sleeping bags but it was still exceptionally cold.

“But then most homeless people don’t have anything like that so I dread to think how it is for them because I was crying at about 4am because it was so cold.”

Karen, who is currently enrolled in the HNC Working with Communities at Forth Valley College (FVC), also said that she and her group had raised over £1,100 for their efforts.

She added: “It was great that staff and students from Forth Valley College came together in there own time outside of college to become an amazing team.”

Stewart Ritchie, a lecturer in FVC’s access and progression department, added: “We’re so proud of our staff and students for taking part in this event.

“Their efforts have raised awareness of the issue of youth homelessness across the college and they’ve raised a fantastic amount of money for the charity. It’s been a really valuable, rewarding experience for all involved.”

A total of 135 took part in the Rock Trust Sleep Out, held on Festival Square in Edinburgh, from Friday into Saturday.

Edinburgh’s famous La Favourita pizza trailer kept the participants going with fresh food on the night, while local porridge champions Stoat’s served the oats for breakfast.

A handful of local bands also turned out to support the intrepid sleepers with a few late night songs.

So far, the funds raised have already surpassed the £34,000 that was brought in last year.

A spokesperson for the Rock Trust said: “On Friday we hosted our biggest fundraiser yet and every one of our Sleep Out participants, volunteers, supporters and staff helped generate over £39,000, as well as raising masses of awareness of the devastating issue of youth homeless.

“We are so thankful to have such generous and enthusiastic network of supporters.”

There are estimated to be 150,000 young homeless people in the UK, with almost 4,000 people declared homeless in Edinburgh alone.

For more information, visit www.rocktrust.org