TWO students successfully completed an eight-hour sleeping rough challenge and 24-hour hunger strike in Tenby, on Friday, to raise money for a local foodbank charity.

Twenty-year-olds Joshua Veale and James Worrall both felt inspired to do something regarding the issue of homelessness and the ongoing reliability of food banks in the United Kingdom, particularly in Wales.

“We both struggled with the challenge this year. Whereas last year was more about embracing the cold, this year was certainly more physically taxing with the added element of not eating,” said Josh.

“It was near impossible to remain in one place for too long. Our morale was boosted at the thought of people donating to PATCH, but we still managed to remain on the streets for eight hours.

“One generous individual had seen the Tenby Observer tweet and donated to us, which was an extremely warm and pleasant surprise.”

Josh continued: “Overall we ‘enjoyed’ the experience, although we wouldn’t rush back into the challenge, the £240 raised was a real encouragement as to what people can collectively do.

“We would even contemplate raising the stakes next year and maybe even making it an annual event!

“It’s demoralising that the issue is ever-growing in our society regarding homelessness and foodbanks, but we’re indebted to honourable members of our county such as the PATCH team, specifically Tracy Olin, for their tireless efforts to combat hardship.”