Harry's sleep out raises £2,500 for Homelessness

Benarty undertaker Harry Webster has embarked on a 24-hour sleep out to highlight the need for more to be done tackle homelessness locally and across Scotland.

Such was the success of his efforts that he helped raise an incredible £2,445, which will go to support the work of the Salvation Army.

Harry, who runs Benarty Funeral Directors, decided to make his bed in the outdoors at the Miners Memorial Garden in Ballingry.

But the 53-year-old insists he couldn't have done it without the "incredible generosity" of the local community.

Harrys said: "I didn't raise money, I raised awareness and the local community responded with incredible generosity.

"I was also overwhelmed with the support people gave me personally. I was given a roast beef dinner and a sausage casserole, and people came up with flasks of tea. I had soup delivered from a local shop."

Harry's sleep out was inspired by the work of Major Mary McDonald and her team at Lochgelly Salvation Army at Christmas time.

He added: "The Christmas Day meal at the hall in Auchterderran Road hall is so important for so many people so I wanted to raise a fair amount through my vigil to help Mary and the volunteers."

Major Mary McDonald, The Salvation Army's church leader in Lochgelly said she was grateful to Harry for highlighting the issue of homelessness, and helping raise vital funds.

She said: "This really is an amazing gesture by Harry and we cannot thank him enough for backing us.

"I arranged for the assistant director of our Homeless Services Unit in the UK, Malcolm Page, to come down and meet Harry."