Meet Tom Chalmers, the 17-year-old who started Help4Homeless after repeatedly seeing a man sleeping rough in Peterborough

Tom Chalmers, a 17-year-old from Thurlby, a village south of Bourne, has started a charitable project to support homeless people in Peterborough by delivering wellbeing packs containing everyday essentials. The idea for Help4Homeless came after he repeatedly saw an older man sleeping rough under a bridge while walking to work in the city. Tom said he began to think about the cold nights and uncertainty the man might face and wanted to do something practical to help.According to Peterborough Telegraph, he launched the project in late 2025, using his own money to prepare the first 15 packs, which were handed out to rough sleepers in February. Since then, the initiative has raised donations, recruited volunteers and begun regular outreach sessions across Peterborough as of April 2026.How Tom Chalmers started Help4Homeless after seeing a man sleeping roughTom Chalmers created Help4Homeless after repeatedly passing an older man sleeping rough under a bridge in Peterborough on his walk to work. He said, "I'm in Peterborough most days for work, and walk past this one older man - who I think may have be a veteran.”"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."In late 2025, he turned this idea into Help4Homeless, a project that delivers wellbeing packs directly to homeless people. Tom used his own money to prepare the first 15 packs. The initiative began distributing them to rough sleepers in February, marking the first step in his effort to provide practical support on Peterborough’s streets.From warm socks to hot chocolate: What Help4Homeless packs containEach wellbeing pack costs £10 and contains everyday essentials intended for homeless people. The items include warm socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, wet wipes, deodorant, snacks, hot chocolate sachets, hand warmers, plasters, lip balm, and a notepad and pen. Tom assembles the packs himself at home before distributing them.The first 15 packs were funded using his own money. The project has since attracted donations through its website, allowing Tom to plan further distributions. The packs are central to Help4Homeless’s work, providing a collection of practical items for people facing difficult conditions.How Help4Homeless raised £390 for its May campaignAfter setting up a website for Help4Homeless, Tom raised £390 in donations, enough to fund 39 additional wellbeing packs. The money was intended to support his May campaign, which aimed to distribute 31 packs over the 31 days of the month.Tom said, “These are people in the same city as all of us, often facing incredibly hard conditions every day."The project began with 15 packs that Tom funded himself, each costing £10. The donations helped him plan further distributions across Peterborough, where he and his volunteers hand-delivered the packs to people sleeping rough.Help4Homeless expands its outreach and volunteer teamSince its launch, Help4Homeless has formed a dedicated management committee, expanded its volunteer team and begun regular outreach sessions across Peterborough. Volunteers work alongside Tom to hand-deliver the wellbeing packs to rough sleepers on the city’s streets. The project is also moving towards formal registration with the Charity Commission. Tom said, “I would love to work in the charity sector in future.”“It’s just something I feel passionate about.”You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.