England Lioness Fara Williams is among the stars taking part in a night time walk for Shelter, after finding herself homeless as a teenager.
Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts and presenter Edith Bowman are also joining the Sleep Walk organised by the housing and homelessness charity.
The 10K event – in its second year – will bring Londoners and Mancunians together on the evenings of December 3 and December 11 for a night time walk through each city. Supporters outside of London and Manchester also have the opportunity to organise their own Sleep Walk events in their towns and cities.
Williams, who has previously told how she was homeless for years, said: “Having experienced homelessness myself in the past I know how important it is for services like Shelter to be able to support those who are in crisis.
“I can’t wait to see Londoners come together to Sleep Walk for the charity.
“By signing up to Sleep Walk you will be making a huge difference to the people who need it this Christmas.”
According to the latest government figures, in the last year a household becomes homeless every four minutes in England.
Homelessness is continuing to rise in England, with the number of homeless households living in temporary accommodation having increased by more than 4,000 since last year.
The findings also suggest that a new generation of young people and families are being hit by the housing emergency, with 56,440 people aged 16 to 24 becoming homeless or being threatened with homelessness in the last year.
Shelter’s chief executive Polly Neate said: “The housing emergency is only getting worse, and we are seeing more and more families pushed into homelessness.
“The miserable reality for many includes living in grim emergency accommodation with their children, and for some it means being forced to sleep on the street.
“Our services and advice are more in demand than ever, and with the public’s support we can provide families with the help they need to get to a better place.”
This year’s Sleep Walk events are taking place in London on December 3 and in Manchester on December 11. For information visit shelter.org.uk/sleepwalk for London or Shelter.org.uk/sleepwalkmanc for Manchester.
For advice from Shelter visit https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help.
