AN EVENT launched two years ago with a giant sleeping bag made by a Silsden firm is being held again.

The Sleep Out got underway with the unveiling of the world's biggest sleeping bag, produced by Snugpak, at Waterloo Mills, Howden Road.

The bag measured a whopping 20 metres by nine metres.

Since then, more than £20,000 has been raised to help support homeless youngsters across the Bradford district.

The third annual event, in aid of Centrepoint, takes place at Odsal Stadium in Bradford on November 3.

People from across Keighley are being invited to join players and staff from Bradford Bulls for the night under the stars.

Faye Edmondson, Centrepoint's regional fundraising manager, said: "Sleep Out is a unique event that everyone should try.

"It would be impossible to replicate the true terror of being forced to spend a night on the streets, but participants do get a feel for the strange noises, the cold and the discomfort some of the young people we work with at Centrepoint have had to endure, simply because they've had nowhere else to go.

"Sleep Out is a lot of fun but there's a serious side to it and the money we raise will help support young people as they tackle the physical and mental health problems caused by homelessness, and give them the skills and confidence to find work or return to education."

Proceeds from the event will be split with the Bulls Foundation.

Centrepoint works with more than 200 homeless young people, providing accommodation and support to help them turn their lives around.

A Centrepoint survey found that one in six people aged 16 to 25 in Yorkshire had slept rough in the past year.

Entry to the Sleep Out, which is being sponsored by label maker Watermill Press, is £20.

Visit sleep-out.org.uk for more details.