A COUNCILLOR received a round of applause from fellow members after announcing he had hit the £20k mark with donations received from his latest charity sleepout.

Barry Hunt spent 12 nights “sleeping under the stars” at various cenotaphs in east Cleveland in the run up to last year’s Remembrance Sunday.

The 73-year-old told a meeting of Redcar and Cleveland Council he had hit £20,000, money which is to go to armed forces charity SSAFA, which supports veterans who have hit hard times living on civvy street.

Substantial donations came from, among others, local firm ICL Boulby, the potash mine operator, who Cllr Hunt said had been “absolutely brilliant”.

Cllr Hunt, a former mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, is no stranger to sleeping rough and raised £15,500 with his last effort.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he didn’t like the idea of veterans “fighting for us and then coming home and not being looked after”.

He said: “Over a period of time I have now taken just over £70,000.

“I slept out on Christmas Eve and Christmas night in Redcar High Street and have done plenty of sleepouts.

“I left this latest [charity effort] going because we also had stuff to auction, which we have just finished.

“SSAFA have got the money, via my JustGiving page, but within a couple of weeks I am going to get in touch with them to present the cheque.”

Cllr Hunt conceded “he felt a bit old”, but having said previously he would not do any more sleepouts pledged he would do another later this year for Coatham House, the Redcar based charity which looks after homeless young people.

He said: “You never say never, my favourite man is [Frank] Sinatra and people lost count of his comebacks.

“People have been so generous, from kids giving their pocket money to pensioners giving a pound, to people giving over a thousand.

“I feel very humble for the support I have had.

“One thing I was really proud of was at Brotton, where two Army cadets came up to me in uniform marching one behind the other, saluted me and shook my hand.

“They were lovely lads to do that.”

Describing his sleepout regime, Cllr Hunt said he typically only ate breakfast and would not eat until the next day.

“I tell people not to do it, but the amount of people who bring you food out, corned beef pie, soup and all sorts of things,” he said.

“I try and get it so it’s as close as how you would feel if you were actually having to do it for real.”

Cllr Hunt said he could cope with about four hours a night sleep, having worked in pubs and clubs all his life.

“You don’t really sleep when you are on the sleepout, you might get a couple of hours at the most,” he added.

“I don’t lay down, I take a little fishing chair and sit it in with a sleeping bag over with me and a ground sheet.”

 

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054