A CARING Troon minister slept outside in bone-chilling temperatures in the Capital to show solidarity for the homeless.

The Rev David Prentice-Hyers of Troon Old Parish Church took part in Sleep in the Park, an event organised by the charity Social Bite.

He was joined by Session Clerk, Andy Fell, who works as an air traffic controller for NATS and elder Harry Russell, a retired policeman.

The venture saw some 9,000 take part in the world's largest ever sleepout in Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens on December 9.

They had an opportunity to hear some entertainment, including songs from Amy Macdonald and Deacon Blue along with comedy routines from the likes of John Cleese and Rob Brydon, before bedding down for the night on what was, up until that point, the coldest night of the year.

David said: "Social Bite do a lot of good work and run cafes and restaurants in Glasgow and Edinburgh. You can buy two meals and one will go to someone in need or if you are homeless you can come in and get a free meal. The idea is to eradicate homelessness in Scotland. They were aiming to raise £4 million and and so far they have secured £3.6 million.

"I said I wanted to do something to support the homeless and Harry and Andy said they would like to go so we all went together.

"We had sleeping bags, a sleeping pad and an emergency sack to put everything in. I ended up sleeping for four-and-a half hours and they discovered I snore and rolled in my sleep and they didn't sleep at all. I was able to sleep because I had two layers - trousers shirts and a thick jumper and sleeping bag rated for zero and below. That wouldn't be so easy for someone who didn't have the right equipment."

Added the Troon clergyman: "We did this to raise awareness of homelessness. It was challenging to do but I had all this equipment, it made me think about how much more challenging it would be for someone who doesn't have the equipment. So far we have raised £1200 between the church, NATS and others and we are still welcoming donations.

David took part in the event because homelessness is something close to his heart.

"Before I became a minister I spent a year working with the homeless in Atlanta, Georgia, so this is something that has been in my heart for a long time. This seemed an easy thing to do, to raise money and awareness. I worked as a not-for-profit counsellor and social worker so we helped feed people who were on the streets, help them get ID and substance abuse treatment. We can't leave homelessness up to the government - communities and groups must step up to take care of it, " he commented.

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