Nurses from the Emergency Department will spend a night sleeping outside to support a charity working with young people facing homelessness.

The nurses include those who have first-hand experience of how Birmingham-based St Basils can make a difference when young people are facing different challenges in their lives.

The personal experience of nurses like Sarah Murphy inspired others from the department to join in the sleep-out later this month.

Sarah Murphy’s son, now 21, has Asperger’s Syndrome and during his late teens felt the need to turn to the charity for support.

Sarah said: “St Basils is a charity close to my heart. Sleep Out replicates a small part of the experience of sleeping rough, while raising much-needed money to help young people like my son who a few years ago found himself in a hostel.

“He has Asperger’s, and there was no getting through to him as much as we tried. St Basils gave him a support worker who worked with him to help him find courses, budget money, take care of himself and start talking to me and understanding that he needed to make good choices. Things still aren’t perfect, but this week he has moved back home so I can continue this support. Without St Basils I think my son would be in a far worse state now.

 “As nurses we see people who are homeless all the time and often it is difficult for us to help them that’s even if they want to be helped. Without charities like St Basils, there would be no support and no hope for people to try to turn their lives around.

“I personally hate the cold and it’s difficult to imagine how people feel when they have only the streets to sleep on where they are so vulnerable.”

The fundraisers, who have ongoing support from managers Kate Mansbridge and Dave Hornsby, include Samuel Gray, Stacey Collins, Amy Mason, Ciara Naughton, Kara Thorpe, Leeann West, Dot Chance, Wendy Perry, Sarah Cameron, Debbie Coombes, Alex Coley, Natalie Fowler, Abbie Jackson and Sam Devaney.

To support the team, who are also putting toiletries in packs to share with the homeless, visit their JustGiving page via the link below.