Peterborough Telegraph features Help4Homeless founder's story
Local newspaper highlights how 17-year-old Tom Chalmers created a charitable project delivering wellbeing packs to homeless people in Peterborough.
The Peterborough Telegraph has published a feature article about Help4Homeless, highlighting how our 17-year-old founder Tom Chalmers created a charitable project that hand-delivers wellbeing packs to homeless people in Peterborough.
Tom Chalmers has been creating wellbeing packs for homeless people in Peterborough
The article, published in the Peterborough Telegraph, shares how Tom created Help4Homeless after repeatedly seeing a man sleeping rough under a bridge in Peterborough on his walk to work. The teen said he felt empathy for the man after wondering what kind of daily ordeal he had to endure.
"I'm in Peterborough most days for work, and walk past this one older man – who I think may have be a veteran," Tom explains. "I quickly developed empathy for him, thinking about the cold nights and uncertainty he must face each day. I wanted to do something practical to help."
The Telegraph feature details how Tom set up the project in late 2025, and has so far created dozens of the packs – handing out the first 15 to rough sleepers in February. Using his own money, Tom created the first 15 wellbeing packs, which cost £10 each and contain warm socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, wet wipes, deodorant, snacks, hot chocolate sachets, hand warmers, plasters, lip balm, and a notepad and pen.
Packs are personally assembled by Tom at home, before he and his volunteers hand them to rough sleepers on the streets of Peterborough. Since setting up a website for the project, he has raised £390 – which will be used to purchase a further 39 packs.
Thank you to Peterborough Telegraph
We are incredibly grateful to the Peterborough Telegraph for sharing our story with their readers. This coverage helps us reach more people in our local community and raises awareness about homelessness in Peterborough.
Local media support like this is invaluable for small charities like ours, helping us connect with more people who want to support our mission or who might need our help.
The article highlights Tom's 'May campaign' – which aims to give out 31 packs over the 31 days of the month. "Every penny donated goes directly into a pack," explains Tom, from Thurlby, a village south of Bourne. "These are people in the same city as all of us, often facing incredibly hard conditions every day."
Since launching, Help4Homeless has formed a dedicated management committee, grown its volunteer team, and begun regular outreach sessions across Peterborough. Tom is now working toward formal registration with the Charity Commission.
"I would love to work in the charity sector in future," Tom adds. "It's just something I feel passionate about."
The Peterborough Telegraph article concludes by directing readers to our website at help4homeless.co.uk, noting that a £10 donation funds one complete pack, delivered in person to someone sleeping rough in Peterborough.
Support Our May Campaign
Help us deliver 31 packs in 31 days - every £10 funds one complete wellbeing pack