The number may seem surprising – surely there are not 700 people in the Tamworth area who are homeless? – but one of the organising committee members said the event was also for “hidden homeless” and those at risk.

RichmondPRA’s Jim Booth said the event had gone “really well”, and this was certainly borne out by the numbers.

“The Rapid Relief Team, run by the Plymouth Brethren Church, did the catering for the first time – 350 bacon and egg rolls went out in the morning, and that was before they even started on the beef and coleslaw rolls for lunch,” Mr Booth said.

“The people from Teamo gave up their day to serve up 400 or 500 cups of coffee, with goodies and the machine provided by Rotary.

“Two hairdressers – Samsara and Jess & James – did a lot of free haircuts and there was a very large pile of hair to be removed at the end of the day.”

Mr Booth said some potential guests might not have attended due to social anxiety, stigma or shame, but the participating people and groups aimed to minimise these factors.

“We try to make all the services as welcoming as possible,and I think around Tamworth we do a pretty good job,” he said.

“To have all those services under one roof, where no one’s looking down on you ... that’s one of the strong secrets of success of a day like this.”

Mr Booth said “sleeping rough” was only one facet to homelessness.

“We might think of what we call primary homelessness, which is where the person is sleeping rough: under the bridge, in the park, with no roof,” he said.

“Secondary homelessness (is) where people might live in their car or there are 20 people living in a three-bedroom house; or tertiary homelessness, where someone doesn’t live in their own house but they’re couchsurfing, or living with friends or relatives.

“Then, for so many people we support, they’re literally one paycheck away from homelessness – something else just needs to go wrong in their lives and they won’t be able to pay their rent.

“There’s a lot of homelessness people don’t see ... what people don’t realise is there’s so much hidden homelessness out there.

“Every big city has it. Tamworth is no worse then anywhere else.”