Mayor of Camden, Cr Ashleigh Cagney, is proud to announce the Mayor's Winter Sleepout event, inviting local businesses and residents to join forces in raising funds for Misson Australia.

On the evening of Friday, 26 July, participants will have the opportunity to experience 'rough sleeping' for one night, with the aim being to heighten awareness of homelessness and poverty in Australia, while also raising much needed funds. 

Cr Cagney urged the community to get involved and donate. 

"More than 122,000 people are without a secure place to sleep every night in Australia. We need to do something to address this," she said. 

"By experiencing just a fraction of what homeless individuals endure, we can raise awareness and much-needed funds to combat this issue. Imagine the impact if every household in Camden contributed just $1. Together, we can make a significant difference."

The event will include:

• The option for attendees to purchase a custom beanie (with all funds going directly to Mission Australia);
• A guest speaker from Mission Australia;
• Promotional opportunities for businesses who have raised significant funds; and 
• More. 

Prizes will be awarded to the highest fundraisers in several categories, including the top three businesses or CEO's, top individual fundraisers and their runner-ups, and the top team from the community along with their runner-up. All funds raised will go directly to Mission Australia. 

To sign up and find out how you can donate, visit bit.ly/mayorswintersleepout 

Mission Australia is a nation-wide charity fighting to end homelessness. Last year, they supported over 149,000 Australians on their journey towards independence.