Away in a stable, straw bales for a bed, the Anglican Bishop of
Lincoln, Christopher Lowson, is to spend a bleak midwinter's night to
raise money for homeless people in Lincoln and the slums of Sao Paulo in
Brazil.Bedding down in a stable in Harmston in Lincolnshire on Thursday night, Bishop Lowson hopes to raise £5,000 to support Christian Aid's Favela project in Brazil and the work of a homeless charity in Lincoln, the Nomad Trust.
The money he raises for Christian Aid will be matched pound for pound by the EU.
He said: "By doing this I hope to discover some of the harsh realities experienced by Mary and Joseph - and hundreds of people around the country and the world who have no bed to sleep in."
The Bishop, whose only comforts will be a sleeping bag and flask, is encouraging other farmers and landowners to allow other hardy fundraisers the use of their stables. Two others, along with some lay people, have so far taken up the challenge.