HUNDREDS of people will be camping out on the shore of Windermere as part of a local appeal to help older people stay warm during the winter period.

Andy Beeforth settled down for the night on a narrow porta-ledge suspended hundreds of feet above the ground in Borrowdale Valley on Friday as part of the challenge.

He wants to encourage more people to join him for The Big Sleep at Windermere on Saturday March 9 where hundreds will already be participating to raise funds for charity.

The Big Sleep raises awareness and money for Cumbria Community Foundation's Winter Warmth Appeal, a grant making fund which helps to keep older people warm every winter.

Mr Beeforth is the chief executive of Cumbria Community Foundation and he said: “Every year I have my own little mini challenge before the Big Sleep. I’ve slept out on the top of mountains, tried sleeping in a bed on a lake, had a nap in a bed in a cave and this was the most terrifying.

“There’s a serious reason for doing it. In a bad winter 300 older people die due to the effects of the cold weather in Cumbria. Our Winter Warmth appeal saves lives. I will do almost anything to raise awareness of the amazing difference people’s fundraising can make.”

For more information about The Big Sleep, or to donate to the appeal, visit:

https://www.cumbriafoundation.org/bigsleep/