Staff and regulars at a North Yorkshire village pub are sleeping outdoors next month to help homeless veterans of the armed forces.

Pub owners and the team at the Fenton Flyer in Church Fenton are among a group aged 'between 16 and 70' sleeping out to help out on Saturday, March 16.

Karl Hebden from the pub said more than 40 people are already confirmed to be sleeping in the beer garden as they seek to raise money for the Royal British Legion as part of ‘The Great Tommy Sleep Out’, a national campaign in March to raise funds and awareness for more than 6,000 veterans currently experiencing homelessness in the UK.


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Four of those signed up to brave the elements are former services personnel.

Karl said: “We are doing the great tommy sleep out on Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 3pm.

“We’re also doing this in honour of a friend and customer Gary Burton who was a retired regiment sergeant major in 1 Yorkshire Regiment.”

York Press: The Fenton Flyer sleep out will take place in the pub's beer gardenThe Fenton Flyer sleep out will take place in the pub's beer garden (Image: Karl Hebden)

The pub wants to encourage more customers and friends to take part and if they can’t make it for the sleep out there will be a fundraising raffle on the Saturday evening, or join in an ice-bath challenge the next morning.