A MAN who slept rough on Rhyl’s High Street last weekend raised hundreds of pounds to support homeless veterans in doing so.

Richard Kendrick, who helps raise funds for the Royal British Legion (RBL), slept alone on the street on Saturday, April 30, from 6pm until the following morning.

This was part of the “Great Tommy Sleep Out”, where participants “sleep out” for one night in support of the approximately 6,000 military veterans living on the streets in the UK.

Richard, who is also a RBL Poppy Appeal organiser, raised £172 from his collection bucket on the night, while a further £300 has been donated to his online GoFundMe page.

He said: “Lots of people came to see me to wish me luck and donate money. It was very wet; it started raining at about 5pm and carried on till 1am - I got a break till about 3am, when it poured down!

“My phone got so wet, at about 5am, that it stopped working.

“It was very cold on the night, which makes you realise how hard it is to be homeless and sleep under the stars, or even sit on High Street, begging.

“Two men came over during the night, both homeless from other parts of country, asking where I was sleeping and if they could keep me company, and the police popped to see me to make sure I was safe.

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“The best thing about the night was the messages on Facebook; lots of whom did not realise how many are homeless in temporary accommodation.

“There were a few who just looked at me and walked past; a lady told her children to keep away from me - they were asking why I was homeless.

“But more than 20 people I’ve worked with in different places in Rhyl came to see me. I hope I’ve raised awareness in people and a better understanding.”

More than 11,500 people have already signed up to take part in the “Great Tommy Sleep Out”, with all proceeds going directly to helping Royal British Legion Industries support veterans.

You can still donate to Richard’s cause online by visiting: www.gofundme.com/f/v6w3q6-supporting-our-homeless-veterans.

For more on the RBLI, go to: www.rbli.co.uk.