Local Impact

Peterborough's Homeless Community Gets a Boost Thanks to 17-Year-Old Teenager

A young entrepreneur from Lincolnshire is making a tangible difference on the streets of Peterborough, having launched a grassroots initiative that delivers essential wellbeing packages directly to rough sleepers in the city.

Tom Chalmers, aged 17 and from the village of Thurlby near Bourne, founded Help4Homeless after a series of encounters with a man sleeping beneath a bridge during his daily commute to work. Struck by the harsh realities the man must face — particularly through cold nights and days of uncertainty — Tom decided to take action rather than simply walk on by.

The project got off the ground in late 2025, with the first batch of packages distributed to rough sleepers across Peterborough in February of this year. Each pack, assembled personally by Tom at his home, is valued at £10 and includes practical essentials such as warm socks, toiletries, snacks, hand warmers, hot chocolate sachets, plasters, lip balm, and a notepad with pen — small comforts that can make a meaningful difference to someone living on the street.

"Every penny donated goes directly into a pack," Tom told CharityNews. "These are people sharing the same city as all of us, often enduring extraordinarily difficult conditions day after day."

Funding the initial 15 packs out of his own pocket, Tom has since launched a website for the project, through which he has raised £390 — enough to produce a further 39 packages. The timing is significant: Tom has set his sights on an ambitious May Campaign, aiming to hand out one pack for every day of the month — 31 in total — through personal outreach sessions with his growing team of volunteers.

Since its founding, Help4Homeless has developed quickly. The initiative now boasts a formal management committee, an expanding volunteer base, and regular outreach activity across Peterborough. Tom is currently pursuing official registration with the Charity Commission, a milestone that would cement the project's status as a fully recognised charitable organisation.

For Tom, this is more than a one-off act of kindness — it reflects a longer-term ambition.

"I would love to work in the charity sector in the future," he said. "It's something I feel genuinely passionate about."

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