A Darlington consultant braved the freezing winter weather to raise funds for people facing poverty and homelessness in the Darlington area.
Richard Hixson, 56, from Darlington, camped out at Mowden Park Stadium on November 20, to raise money for the homeless charity CEO Sleepout.
CEO Sleepout, which was formed in December 2013, has raised more than £3.8 million for more than 100 charities tackling homelessness in the UK by holding sleepout events throughout the country.
Before taking part in the sleepout, the consultant said he was unaware of how "brutal" the experience would be.
Richard slept at Mowden Park Stadium in the freezing temperatures. (Image: RICHARD HIXSON)
He said: "Being honest I thought it was going to be easy, but it was absolutely brutal.
"I was in my snowboarding kit with thermals, a hat, with gloves in a decent sleeping bag. And from about 1.30 in the morning till about 5.30, it was minus two degrees and I was just cold to the bone.
"It took me the whole next day to warm up after having the luxury of a warm house and cold shower - I felt ill for the rest of the day.
"So many homeless people don't have that. The thought of doing that night after night makes you realise how much we take for granted."
After working in the NHS for 33 years, the consultant said he has seen firsthand the impact homelessness has had on people.
He said: "I've done a bit of fundraising over the years, but this charity hit home because it's for local people.
"Because I work on a critical care unit, I'm dealing with local people every day.
"I've been a consultant in Darlington for years and I've seen the mental health and physical health impacts of people who are living in poverty or are homeless.
"It really highlights how vulnerable everybody is when circumstances aren't great for them, and I've seen the outcomes of this."
Throughout his work and own personal experience, Richard has since become passionate about bringing attention to the issue.
He said: "It all goes back to when I was about 18 years old. When I was at university, my parents lost their house.
"From a very from an early age, I became very aware of vulnerability and how that makes you feel not having that solid place which we often take for granted."
He added: "I could never really shake the original feeling of vulnerability whenever I thought back to my teenage years.
"I wanted to raise money for this charity because I wasn't just doing an activity like jumping out of a plane - I was experiencing firsthand what I was raising money for.
"I thought it was a really valuable way to experience that feeling while raising some money at a local level."
Since launching a fundraiser, Richard has raised £1,872 for the charity, from 85 kind donors.
You can donate to the charity here: CEO Sleepout: CEO Sleepout Darlington 2025
The 56-year-old said: "I just hope the money goes to somebody who is extremely vulnerable and gives them a chance at life.
"A lot of these people, certainly the ones I've met have been in really bad situations and all they need is a starting point.
"I just hope the money raised can give at least one person a chance at starting over."