Braving arctic conditions on one of the coldest nights of the year, two hardy members of Melville staff have spent a night under the stars in Princes Street Gardens to help raise a phenomenal £6,500 for homeless charities as part of Sleep in the Park.

Melville Finance Manager Ian Smith and Welfare Benefits Adviser Andrew Collinge joined colleagues from Shepherd Chartered Surveyors alongside some 8,000 hardy souls to endure the sub-zero temperatures.

“Taking part in Sleep in the Park was an unforgettable experience, but it’s one that I don’t much fancy repeating,” said Melville’s Andrew Collinge. “Sleeping outside on one of the coldest nights of the year really gave you a taste of what it must be like to be homeless but with the crucial difference that we all had warm beds to return to.”

“It was a real eye-opening experience,” agreed Melville’s Ian Smith. “To have to sleep in these sorts of conditions, at this time of year, is okay as a one-off but to do it night after night is hard to imagine. Both Andrew and I were amazed by the generosity of those that sponsored us and are delighted that we, along with our colleagues from Shepherds, were able to raise such a fantastic amount.”to help eradicate homelessness in Scotland within a five-year

Sleep in the Park was organised by social enterprise Social Bite to help eradicate homelessness in Scotland within five years and has so far raised over £3.6m.