Desborough community pays Christmas hotel bill to save homeless man from living in supermarket bin store

Kind hearted Desborough residents have rallied to help a homeless man who had been living in a supermarket bin store by clubbing together to pay for accommodation over Christmas.

The appeal to house the man was triggered when Isabel Ainsworth-Smith spotted him outside the Co-op store – she bought him food and stopped to speak to him.

Feeling compelled to help further, she decided to pay for him to stay the night at a local hotel and asked if anyone else would like to do the same.

Isabel said: “I’ve been overwhelmed by the response. We have raised enough money for him to stay in the hotel over Christmas for 14 days.

"I went to the shop and saw him and bought him a sandwich and got talking to him. He has been homeless for over a year and he had been living in the bin store at the Co-op. He said he was at the bottom of the list for housing because he’s a single man, under 50 with no dependents.

“I got home to my warm house and thought it wasn’t right. I paid for him to stay the night at the hotel and then put out a message on social media explaining the situation.”

The man called Matt has been given cooked food by Wendy-Lou’s Tearoom and The Treat Box as well as St Giles Church as his accommodation doesn’t include meals.

Isabel, 22, a Year 6 teacher in Market Harborough has been in touch with North Northants Council to seek their help.

She said: “I teach kindness and as a Christian I can’t see someone like Matt and do nothing.”

As well as accommodation and food, residents have been dropping off toiletries and clothes where he is staying.

It is hoped he will be housed by North Northants Council who have been out to visit him.

Isabel added: “If he is housed by the council, any nights not needed will be refunded and donated to Matt directly, in cash to really give him the start up he deserves. This will be used for food, clothes, toiletries and travel costs everything goes direct to help him until then he’ll be warm and dry indoors.”