Founder shares Help4Homeless journey on BBC Cambridgeshire
Tom Chalmers appeared on BBC Cambridgeshire with Dotty to discuss the youth-led charity's mission and impact in Peterborough.
Help4Homeless founder Tom Chalmers appeared on BBC Cambridgeshire's breakfast show with Dotty this morning, sharing the story behind the youth-led charity and its mission to support homeless people in Peterborough.
Listen to the full interview
Recorded live on BBC Cambridgeshire, 1st April 2026 at 7:30am
During the interview, Tom spoke candidly about what inspired him to start Help4Homeless at just 17 years old. "I'm in Peterborough most days, and homelessness is something I've seen regularly for a long time," he explained. "After I turned 17, I started thinking - instead of just walking past and feeling bad about it, what can I actually do that might make even a small difference? Help4Homeless came from that thought."
"I think because when you see it often, especially locally, it stops feeling like a distant issue and starts feeling very real. These are people in the same city as all of us, often facing incredibly hard conditions every day, and I felt like even small local action matters."
Tom shared how a specific encounter with a man experiencing homelessness made the issue deeply personal. "Seeing him really made it feel personal. It brought a lot of empathy because even if someone has a tent or a few belongings, they're still facing cold nights, uncertainty, and difficult conditions. I wanted to do something practical that could make that experience even slightly easier."
The interview highlighted how Help4Homeless delivers £10 wellbeing packs containing essential items like warm socks, snacks, hygiene products, and hot chocolate to people experiencing homelessness in Peterborough. Each pack is designed to provide immediate comfort and practical support.
A huge thank you to BBC Cambridgeshire
We are incredibly grateful to Dotty and the entire BBC Cambridgeshire team for giving us this platform to share our story. Their support means so much to our small charity and helps us reach more people who might need our help or want to support our mission.
This opportunity is amazing for Help4Homeless, and we're thrilled that BBC Cambridgeshire has invited us back for another interview once we've done more outreach work in the community.
Since launching, Help4Homeless has already made significant progress, forming a dedicated Management Committee and beginning outreach work in Peterborough. The charity continues to grow its impact through community support and donations.
"Once more outreach has been done, we hope to go back on air with BBC Cambs and talk more about it and how it went," Tom mentioned during the interview, showing his commitment to transparency and sharing the charity's journey with the community.
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Help us continue our work in Peterborough - every £10 funds one complete wellbeing pack