Horsham FC chairman to sleep at football ground for charity challenge

Kevin Borrett will take part in Sleep Easy overnight on Friday (March 18), in which participants sleep rough for a night to raise funds and highlight the issue of homelessness.

The challenge raises money for the YMCA DownsLink Group, and Mr Borrett explained he was inspired to raise awareness after visiting Nicaragua last year.

He said: “The plight of those who are homeless is a cause that is particularly close to my own heart, and my motivation in participating reflected that.

“Last year one of my daughters spent 11 months travelling around the world working with various charities and living in communities in Asia, Africa and South America.

“My wife and I visited her in Nicaragua in August where we experienced living conditions that have to be seen to be believed.”

The 53-year-old added that the night is also in memory of Mick Browning, the much-loved former chairman of Horsham YMCA who died in November after a long battle with leukaemia.

Mr Browning was instrumental in the ground share talks between the two football clubs which led to Horsham FC returning to the town following a year of playing in Worthing.

And Mr Borrett joked that for one night he would share the homeless plight of the football club, who have been without a permanent home since 2008.

He said: “I was so very grateful to Mick Browning when in 2009, recognising that Horsham FC was playing in Worthing and homeless in the town, he suggested discussions which led to the club returning.

“The spectre of the club being potentially homeless again was an added incentive.”

Mr Borrett hopes to sleep outside the home dugout at Gorings Mead - as manager Dom Di Paola does not let him near the dugout on matchdays.

He added: “The weather forecast is dry but I expect it to be quite cold.

“It will be a little bit of endurance but I am going to wrap up warm, wear a hat and sleep in cardboard.”

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