CONGREGATION members from two Fenland churches will be braving the cold and sleeping in their cars as an act of solidarity with those desperate with debt.

Members of Centenary Baptist Church in March and Wisbech Baptist Church will be spending Saturday night in their cars as part of a national sleepout highlighting the misery of spiralling debts and homelessness.

The churches are already partnered with UK debt counselling charity Christians Against Poverty and offer free help to local people. Those sleeping out are being sponsored to raise much-needed funds for the charity.

The sleepout aims to show isolated people in debt that someone cares and that hope and solution are available, no matter how bad the situation.

Fenland CAP Centre Manager, Sue Bradshaw said: “Clients have told us how sometimes, when the fear of visits and phone calls from creditors become too much, the car seems the only option. For others, sleeping in the car is what happens when their home is repossessed.

“We’re going to be sleeping in our cars in Wisbech which sounds a bit of a crazy thing to do, I know. However, new statistics show that more than a third of CAP’s clients believe they would be better off doing this, so we urgently need to get the message out to them that help is available and urge them to get in touch.”

It is hoped that The Big Car Sleepout will help CAP in its big push to expand at the same pace as the rapidly growing social need. Currently the charity has 131 centres across the UK and wants another 30 to open this autumn.

At any one time the charity is handling more than �64m of clients’ debt and gives counselling, advice and practical help.

To help get free advice with debts call 0800 328 0006