In the run-up to World Homeless Day, Carina Tyrrell, most recent winner of the Miss England title, spent a night sleeping rough on the streets of Cambridge.

The 24-year-old medical student, having completed her fifth year as an undergraduate at Murray Edwards, camped out under a bridge near Midsummer Common.

She joined the estimated 2,400 others who sleep rough every night nationwide, 40 of whom sleep on the streets of Cambridge.

The main purpose of the uncomfortable night was to raise awareness about the plight of the homeless in the UK.

Through her role as president of the Cambridge University Global Health society, Carina has been involved in working with the homeless for a number of years.

However, she says that she took to the streets in order to “experience another side of the story, and to better understand what it is like to be homeless”.

As wind and rain crept in, and the temperatures dipped down to four degrees, Carina was unable to shake off the cold. “I could not stop shivering despite having many layers on”, with “a sleeping bag, blanket and mat” all piled on to protect from the cold.

The Miss England title-holder was struck by how “vulnerable” she felt, and described herself as being “constantly on edge” throughout the entire experience.

She described the overall task as being “the longest night of my life. It was truly miserable”.

The following morning, Carina woke up to a warm English breakfast from Wintercomfort, a charitable organization that supports the homeless in Cambridge, offering them a safe place, basic amenities such as showers, and a range of educational and recreational activities.

Carina also emphasised the “misunderstandings and stigma” that surround homelessness. “Many are homeless through unfortunate circumstances, and are not necessarily alcohol or drug dependent”.

She expressed a wish for a better general understanding of homelessness in the UK: “I would like to urge people to reconsider what homelessness is and who the homeless are”.

Despite a variety of homelessness shelters offering resources and emergency accommodation to those affected, homelessness remains an extremely significant and current problem in Cambridge.

A police dossier obtained by The Cambridge Student last year revealed some homeless people were removing the lids from tombs at Mill Road cemetery in order to sleep in them.

Homeless people are statistically 13 times more likely to be the victims of violence than those who do not live on the streets, with young people being especially vulnerable to dangers such as pimps and drug dealers.

Carina plans to continue to put her new Miss England title, which she won in June, to good use. In her own words, “the title of ‘Miss’ not only represents beauty, but also someone who is kind and charitable.”

Miss England director, Angie Beasley, commented that Carina is the “perfect ambassador for Miss England in this day and age... she combines all the qualities we represent and I am delighted to see her wearing the crown”.

Carina will continue to support homelessness causes as she takes a year out of her medical studies to prepare for the Miss World competition in December, which will take place in London and currently has a top prize of $100,000.