STAGS CEO Carolyn to sleep rough tonight for homeless charity

Mrs Radford will have just a sleeping bag and a cardboard box to keep her warm as she braves the elements with a number of other Nottinghamshire chief executives in an attempt to raise funds for homelessness and poverty.

Carolyn, who became the club’s CEO in September 2011, believes the evening will provide her with just a glimpse of what life is like for those who live on the streets.

“I’m really going to take (the opportunity) and really reflect on such an important charitable event that we’re all taking part in and I think it’ll be quite a poignant night for quite a lot of people,” Mrs Radford said.

“There’s some fantastic people out there who help people coming off the streets, giving them warm food, giving them shelter for a night or two and even long term.

“It’s a very complicated process that it needs to go through; there’s not a lot of social housing out there, we do have a housing shortage and it’s a problem.”

Mrs Radford also believes it is vitally important that the stereotype of homelessness being a choice is abolished.

“It’s circumstantial, it’s not a choice. People are struggling out there financially and it can happen to anybody.

“I’m in a very fortunate position; thankfully I have a very warm bed, like most of us out there and it’s really not a choice, homelessness, and I think there’s a lot of confusion that people choose to be on the streets and that’s not the case whatsoever.”

Finally, Mrs Radford hopes that her endeavours, along with those of her fellow chief executives, will help raise awareness of homelessness.

“There’s a lot of different agencies that are going to be involved within the sleep-out and we really want to make a difference. You’ve got to look at the weather at the moment; things are changing, it’s getting very, very cold outside and unfortunately we have people sleeping rough on the streets of Nottinghamshire.

“It’s such a fantastic cause, raising awareness for an issue which really needs highlighting.”

To donate to Mrs Radford’s fundraising endeavours, please visit her JustGiving page.