MORE than 100 people will bunk down in an Oxford churchyard tonight to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

The Oxford Sleep-Out was launched in 1996 and last year raised more than £14,000 for homelessness projects including Aspire, The Gap, Steppin' Stones and the Elmore Team.

This year's sleep-out will take place at St Clement's Church, St Clement's, from 9pm.

Kate Attwooll, development officer at The Gap which is co-ordinating the sleep-out, said: "We have focused on bringing in student involvement on issues around homelessness."

Two Oxford colleges, St Anne's and St Hugh's, are organising smaller sleep-outs, and The Queen's College will be donating proceeds from its Christmas dinner.

Miss Attwooll said: "Because Oxford is particularly divided in terms of wealth, no-one would believe the number of people affected by homelessness. It will mean people can physically empathise."

Volunteers will be supplied with blankets and groundsheets, and Costa Coffee has promised to provide breakfast.

Dawn Thompson, project manager at The Gap, said: "There are a lot of misconceptions around homelessness, so trying to fundraise for homeless people can be difficult.

She added: "This is not just about raising money, it's also about making people aware of the issues."

For more information and to download a sponsorship form, log on at the website www.oxfordsleepout.moonfruit.com