Two councillors slept rough in Sale over the weekend to raise awareness of homelessness and are now determined to end rough sleeping in the borough.

Coun Joanne Harding, Trafford Council’s cabinet member for social care and councillor for Urmston ward, and Coun Adele New, councillor for Bucklow St Martin’s ward, braved the cold and “rock hard pavement” for local homeless charity; Skullfades.

The foundation, founded by barber Ged King, started out by offering free haircuts to Manchester’s homeless population.

Now the charity brings food, hygiene kits and help with addiction to the homeless and trains them up to become barbers themselves.

Both councillors were struck by the physical discomfort of sleeping rough and the vulnerability they felt while out on the streets, particularly as women.

Following her experience, Coun New took to Twitter and said: “I thought I understood homelessness. I thought I empathised with rough sleepers. One night out in relatively mild conditions shows me I knew nothing.

“Nothing of the physical discomfort of lying on the ground in a sleeping bag, fully dressed. Unable to rest body and mind.

“Alert to every sound and feeling so vulnerable with every approaching footstep. Church bells a comfort as they sound out another hour closer to being able to leave the experience behind. For others this is life. It must change.

“Joanne and myself are fortunate in that we can use our influence and the people we know to look at rough sleeping differently and we will. I’m completely humbled by the strength of those that society tries to write off and richer for this experience.”

Coun Harding said: “What struck me was, as a woman, just how vulnerable you are on the streets. As I rolled up my sleeping bag at 6am and tried to stretch my body from having slept on a rock hard pavement all night, I just thought imagine being ill and having to live like this.

“It really struck home and nobody at all should have to live like this. As Adele said we will both try to use our influence to shape services and eradicate rough sleeping.”

So far the foundation has managed to raise £500 from the event, with more donations expected.

Ged King, Skullfades’ founder, appeared on BBC Three’s online series ‘Amazing Humans,’ showcasing the efforts of the foundation.

The video went viral, gathering more than 25 million views online.

For more information about Skullfades and how to support the charity, visit their website at www.skullfadesfoundation.co.uk.