A PLUCKY pair had a 'horrible' Christmas sleeping on the streets of Oxford to support a charity helping young people through difficult times.

Paul Blair, 39, and Jordan Sear, 35, decided to do the festive sleepout in Oxford to raise money for The Abingdon Bridge, a project that provides support for young people and adults between the ages of 13 and 25.

The pair raised over £10,800 for the charity by sleeping on the streets of Oxford over the Christmas period, from December 23-27.

Mr Blair said: “It was horrible sleeping on the streets; it puts things in perspective for people who have to do this on a day-to-day basis.

“Raising money for the cause was worth it though. Abingdon Bridge is now seeking long-term funding to help the next generation of children with whatever they are going through.

“It was more than just about the money though, we wanted to raise awareness for mental health, to encourage people who don’t want to talk about their issues and problems, especially men.

“We think this has helped raise awareness and allowed people to be more open.”

Abingdon Bridge supports young people and young adults with any wellbeing need. The charity provides support through counselling, one-to-one support and group work.

Mr Sear said the experience of sleeping rough for a few nights was a complete ‘eye-opener’.

He added: “We experienced a lot in a small amount of time.

"There are some really nice people out there and we learned a lot about the homeless and homelessness.

“It showed us homelessness is looked upon and frowned upon in the wrong way.”

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After they completed their mission, the pair donated food and their sleeping bags to rough sleepers.

Mr Sear said: “I want to do charity work again now.

"I got a lot out of it myself. It made me realise there is always somebody worse off than yourself.”

Gary Hibbins, who is the service manager at Abingdon Bridge, said what the men did was ‘phenomenal’.

He said: “We put out a call on social media saying we needed more funds to help us finish our refurbishment in Abingdon.

“The charity has grown so much. We needed more space, but space costs money.

“We put the appeal out and I got a call from Paul about his rough sleep.

"At first I was very concerned for their safety and because it was meant to be so cold, but myself and the trustees are so grateful for the sacrifice both of them made.”

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Mr Sear and Mr Blair both have children, however, still did the sleepout over the Christmas period for the worthy cause.

Mr Hibbins added: “They have done more than just raise money, they have raised hope.

"So many people have seen these two lads, they are very relatable, they have been there and done it. We have seen more people try and help our charity and raise its profile.

You can donate to the sleep out fundraiser by visiting theabingdonbridge.org.uk

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