Portsmouth women sleep rough to raise money

Claire Innalls, 38, and Rachel Hindmarch, 42, spent the night outside Howdens, in Farlington, to fundraise for The Lifehouse.

Claire said: ‘Every year we raise money for charity but normally we just put a pot on the side.

‘This year Rachel and I decided to do something different. It started off as a throw away comment but we decided to actually do it.’

The women raised £1,260 which was more than they expected.

Claire added: ‘We’ve over the moon. People were so kind with their money. We hope to raise a lot more money for them in the future.’

Lesley Wenden, manager of The Lifehouse in Albert Road, said they took were over the moon with the girls’ efforts.

‘We are so grateful for their donation,’ she said. ‘I hope they know how grateful we all are because it means we can continue with our work.’