New homeless outreach vehicle named after late Samantha Wright who died on Northampton streets

Since 2017, Stan Robertson, of Kingsley, has been serving-up eggs and bacon to rough sleepers in and around Abington Street from 6.30am every morning.

To begin with, Stan would pay for the breakfasts out of his own cash in a bid to make those sleeping on the streets feel valued.

But after word started to spread about what he was doing, Stan now receives donations through a fundraising page and he decided to set up his charity, Project 16:15.

Three years on and the charity has become much more than one man feeding 30 people.

Stan and his growing team are now a support network who offer street level grief counselling and a shoulder to cry on for those who have lost friends to sleeping rough.

Now, Bill and Fran Boorman, two kind-hearted volunteers who serve Sunday breakfasts to the homeless on the Market Square, have pledged money to help buy a horse truck so the charity can expand the help they give while reaching out of town rough sleepers.

The truck, which will be named in memory of former rough sleeper Samantha Wright, will have a small kitchen on board as well as a food bank, clean clothes, document storage, phone charging facilities and a lounge area.

"Project 16:15 is the only seven-day-a-week street level service provider to the rough sleeping community," charity trustee Simon Rash said.

"Our idea was if we can't get the guys into the centres then we will effectivley get the centres to the guys.

"We will use it out on the street on a daily basis, the guys will get to know about it and tell us their problems or use it to store things like sleeping bags and clothes."

The aim is for medics, adult social services and mental health workers to eventually use the truck with the charity team.

Simon added: "When Stan started this a couple of years ago with just him and his trolley, getting up at ungodly hours to give out breakfasts, he has since become very much a confidant and a shoulder to cry on, someone they can talk to and he's built up a massive trust with these guys over the years.”

Simon said seven people died while sleeping rough last year and two more people have died in the last month and it’s only right they should be remembered.

The 'Samantha Wright Outreach Van' will be decorated by street artists with the names of those who have died while sleeping rough in Northampton drawn within shapes of stars.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to renovate the truck and reimburse Fran and Bill after they gave some of their own money to buy the vehicle - to donate to the page click here.