Chief executives and business leaders will sleep on the turf of an iconic cricket ground to highlight the growing issue of homelessness. 

The CEO Sleepout in London is due to take place at Lord’s Cricket Ground on November 21, and will be the seventh event in the city.

The initiative, which is run by national charity CEO Sleepout, sees senior figures sleep under the stars to raise awareness of the plight of homelessness. 

The charity's chief executive Bianca Robinson said: “At CEO Sleepout, we aim to pull the powerful voices of business together to demand change: a long-term vision to end homelessness and to make sure individuals, with the same hopes, dreams, talents, stories as ourselves, have a secure, affordable roof over their heads.

“London’s business leadership community has the power and an opportunity to use their voice to shine a light on the issue, and lead from the front when it comes to compassion and care for some of the most marginalised people in our communities.”

She added: “Homelessness and ‘sleeping rough’ has become normalised in London - and yet there is nothing normal about being homeless in a modern, wealthy society. 

“We are so used to seeing people surviving day in and day out on the strand, Charing Cross, Piccadilly and at every tube station, that we have become desensitised to the horror of homelessness.”

There are currently around 165,000 homeless people living in London.

Catriona Innes, commissioning director for Cosmopolitan magazine, is taking part in the event. She said homelessness has "always been an issue I care a lot about".

She added: “There is a lot of misconception and judgement surrounding those who don’t have a place to call home.

"Many people are not able to see that those who are homeless didn't 'bring it upon themselves' but are instead faced with a series of circumstances that led them to this place, and what they need is compassion and help to get back on their feet again. 

Since CEO Sleepout was founded in 2013, events have raised £3.2 million, with funds being donated to charities across the UK. It is sponsored by the Warwick Business School at The University of Warwick.