A 48-YEAR-OLD man with learning disabilities and his carer together raised over £1,400 to help the homeless in Chippenham when they joined the recent Doorway SleepOut .

Peter lives at the Cocklebury Farmhouse home in the town, and often talks to Jaqui, his carer, about the people he meets. “Peter often comes across homeless people in town and stops to chat with them. When he can spare it, he will give them 20p to help out,” she said.

Jaqui explained to Peter about Doorway and how they run the SleepOut as a way of raising money for the homeless. She joined him for the night outside, and said: “Peter’s experiences of meeting the homeless left him eager to be involved and he carefully planned for the event over the weeks leading up to it.

“Peter wanted the experience to be as authentic as possible. We had suitable warm clothing so we weren’t at risk from the effects of the cold. Other than this we had a sleeping bag and a piece of cardboard to use as a wind breaker.

“On the evening, Peter excitedly talked to other people involved before settling in for the night.

“At 5amk, we were all woken by the rain and managed to dash inside the church hall. We realise this is a luxury not afforded to those unfortunate enough to be homeless.

“Peter is very proud of the fact that he was involved in the event and I’m very proud of him. He has gained a great deal of satisfaction knowing that he has made a difference.”