A Glasgow podcast host and TikTok star raised more than £2500 for a local homeless charity by sleeping out.

Kenneth Paul McKay, host of the podcast Flip The Mindset and TikTok sensation and entrepreneur Mark Hamilton took on the challenge to highlight the struggles of being homeless.

The influencers collected over £2500 in donations, all of which goes directly to local homeless charity Kindness Glasgow, who will use it to support the city’s homeless.

During the night, they slept on cardboard boxes in the city’s streets and got to know some of the people who sleep rough every day.

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Kenny, a former footballer said: “After we helped the Kindness street team,  went to find a place to sleep and it took us two hours to find a spot. 

“It was a lot trickier than we thought because you can’t sleep outside banks, or anything similar. 

“There were also rats in the alleyways, and in Sauchiehall Street that we were trying to avoid.

“We grabbed some cardboard from one of the bins after a homeless person said to us we need cardboard to avoid freezing.

“We then stayed on the street until 8am. It was very emotional and it was freezing cold.

“Even now, I feel upset talking about it.”

The 31-year old said his main goal was to help the charity, but he also gained a ‘meaningful, humbling’ experience.

“We live a normal life, but homeless people don’t live a normal life. We hope to keep raising money until Monday to try and help these people, who are humans just like us.

“A lot of people have these misconceptions that homeless people are all drug addicts, but that is not true. “

Mark, from North Lanarkshire, added: “I got a real hit of realisation that as people in general, we aren’t grateful for the things that we do have.

“As we were out there, it was freezing cold, my mind was horrible.

“It’s scary to think that some people feel safer on the streets because that is all they know.

“I couldn’t sleep a wink, it was a nasty experience in general. I was so grateful that I could go home to my bed, some people don’t have that privilege.

“When you are out there, a million things go through your head, who is that approaching me, will they rob me?’, it was a massive eye-opener for me.”

The pair of volunteers plan to raise more money with different projects in the future and encourage their online following to consider a small act of kindness towards someone who needs it.

Kenny said: “Last year, I climbed Ben Nevis for charity and we managed to raise around £14,000. And now, I am in talks with the Kindness Glasgow team to create more events in the future.

“I have spoken to a few other influencers and we are all up for doing something regularly to raise money to keep organisations like this going.

“We so desperately need it, it’s disappointing and heartbreaking.”
Mark added: “I think a lot of ‘influencing’ is about who’s got the nicest things,  however, we want to completely change it.

“We want to use our platform for good, not to show the luxuries we have, that is the idea behind what we do.”

The Kindness Glasgow team, who will receive all proceeds from the sleep out, are a charity running a soup kitchen, outreach team, giving away food parcels, hot food and supporting the most vulnerable in the city.

You can donate to them here.