STAFF from one Peatmoor-based business braved the elements earlier this week to spend the night under the stars in aid of two Swindon charities.

Fifteen members of staff from IT firm Excalibur Communications heaved their sleeping bags into the company’s car park on Tuesday night for the sponsored event.

They raised over £2,000 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Threshold Housing Link, the Swindon-based homelessness charity.

Emma Carter, 36, Excalibur’s sales and marketing director, said: “It was a real eye-opener to understanding what a homeless person would go through.

“I haven’t camped since I was about 12.”

After the recent cold snap, the charity sleepers were lucky to get a mild evening.

Big-hearted firm Dominos delivered free pizza to the fundraisers to keep them going through the evening.

But despite the weather and food, the Wootton Bassett mother-of-one got little more than two hours sleep during a noisy night outdoors.

“It felt like ten minutes,” Emma said.

“I walked through the door, took a gulp of tea and went straight to bed.”

Generous colleagues, friends and family members have helped the firm raise almost £2,500.

Among those donating was Emma’s 11-year-old daughter, who gave £10 from her pocket money.

Emma said: “She was so impressed that I was doing it. She and her dad go away…quite a lot camping and I refuse. ”

Excalibur regularly raises money for Swindon charities.

The Peatmoor-based business has done charity sleep-outs in the past.

And the business recently became one of the first members of Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s 100 Business Club.

The company has pledged to raise £10,000 over the coming year to help with the Air Ambulance's new airbase at Melksham.

Emma said: “We have this belief that everyone knows somebody that’s needed the air ambulance.”

“It’s an organisation that’s really close to our hearts.”

It was the first time that the business has supported Threshold Housing Link.

The charity provides accommodation and support for homeless people, substance abusers and young people who require intensive support and life-skills training.

Excalibur Communications chief executive, James Phipps, said: “After the recent cold snap, I think we were extremely lucky that the overnight temperatures were around double figures.

“It was easy for us knowing that this was just for one night, but it still made the Excalibur team think long and hard about how tough it must be when the streets are somebody’s home and how vulnerable these people are.”

To donate to Threshold Housing Link visit: http://www.thl.org.uk/.