The foul weather could not dampen the spirits of good-willed revellers who showed their support for the homeless.

The Uprising of Kindness event was hosted by Emmaus Brighton and Hove at Jubilee Square, Brighton, on Saturday, where they created a house setting which was open to the elements.

Joel Lewis, business manager at Emmaus, said: “The fact that hundreds of people still turned up to donate things despite the foul weather was the most pleasing thing.

“They made a conscious effort to come down and we even had home-made cakes brought to us to keep us going.

“It’s symbolic in a way – because that’s life on the streets. The rain isn’t just going to stop because we’ve got an event on, just like it doesn’t stop in real life.”

The homelessness charity is keen to bring the event back to Brighton next year. Mr Lewis added: “It’s very important for us to be out there and visible.

“When people come up to the centre in Portslade, they’re always amazed at the scale of how much we do and what’s going on. But because it’s a bit out of the way, it’s so important to be seen in the wider community.”