Thurlby teenager's charity brings hope to Peterborough's rough sleepers, one pack at a time
A 17-year-old from the village of Thurlby, near Bourne, is making a real difference on the streets of Peterborough, driven by nothing more than compassion and determination.
Tom Chalmers founded Help4Homeless in late 2025 after repeatedly passing a man sleeping rough under a bridge during his daily walk to work in Peterborough. Rather than look the other way, the Lincolnshire teenager decided to act.
"I'm in Peterborough most days for work, and walk past this one older man, who I think may have been 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."
Using his own money, Tom assembled the first 15 wellbeing packs himself at home. Each pack costs £10 and contains warm socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, wet wipes, deodorant, snacks, hot chocolate sachets, hand warmers, plasters, lip balm, and a notepad and pen. The first packs were handed out to rough sleepers across Peterborough in February 2026.
Since launching a website for the project, Tom has raised £390, enough to fund a further 39 packs. The momentum couldn't come at a better time. Tom has set himself an ambitious May Campaign, aiming to hand out 31 packs across the 31 days of the month through personal outreach sessions alongside his growing team of volunteers.
"Every penny donated goes directly into a pack," Tom says. "These are people in the same city as all of us, often facing incredibly hard conditions every day."
Help4Homeless has grown quickly since its founding. The initiative now has a formal management committee, an expanding volunteer base, and holds regular outreach sessions across Peterborough. Tom is currently working towards official registration with the Charity Commission, a step that would see it become a fully recognised charitable organisation.
For Tom, this is the beginning of something much bigger. "I would love to work in the charity sector in future," he says. "It's just something I feel passionate about."
Lincolnshire can be proud to count Tom among its own, a young person using his initiative to tackle one of society's most visible challenges, one pack at a time.
To donate, volunteer, or find out more, visit help4homeless.co.uk. A £10 donation funds one complete pack, delivered in person to someone sleeping rough in Peterborough.