Martha's Mission to make sure rough sleepers get a present this year takes to the streets of Northampton

Martha Culley has made it her mission to help Northampton's homeless people and was out with Earth's Lonely Angels last week.

Last year, the Chronicle and Echo shared the story of seven-year-old Martha Culley, who wanted nothing more than to make sure Northampton's homeless sleepers also got a present for Christmas.

It led her to launch 'Martha's Mission', where she raised funds to donate more than 50 backpacks to the Northampton Hope Centre each filled with a hat, gloves, a blanket, water, wet wipes, a protein bar, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste and a £5 vouchers for Greggs.

In total, her Christmas 2018 raised £1,600 for rough sleepers and services.

Now, Martha is back to make Christmas a little more comfortable for the town's rough sleepers, and this year she's taken her mission to the streets.

The eight-year-old joined up with the Earth's Lonely Angels charity group in Abington Street on Tuesday (December 9) to help dish out hot meals and meet the people she was helping in person by handing out 20 of her backpacks herself.

Martha told the Chronicle and Echo: "It made me really happy for everyone because they don't really get much stuff.

"We actually set up a little stall up for homeless people to come and get food and stuff like cake and shepherd's pie and cauliflower cheese.

"I got to speak to lots of different people. I'm happy I got to help with more than just the backpacks."

Martha is on track to make her mission a new force for good in Northampton, and throughout this last year has raised more £600 for homeless charities through a "pop up-restaurant" night for her friends and family.

Mum Lou Culley said: "In many ways it was a lot better for her to hand over the backpacks herself and speak to who it goes to help.

"I'm incredibly proud of her. She always says she wants to do more. I know as she gets older she's going to want to do more things like this herself.

"When she first started it was like she couldn't understand someone not having anyone to help them.

"More than anything I love the positivity it spread amongst her friends, like it show how good it is to be kind."