Garstang schoolboy and pals spend night sleeping rough for homeless charity

Fox Laverty and six pals spent 24 hours ‘living’ outside Booths in Garstang in aid of Shelter.

The nine-year-old, a pupil at St Thomas’ School, did the same thing last year and raised an impressive £1,900.

This year he was determined to top that amount, and at the time of going to press the total sat at just more than £2,300.

His proud dad Brian said: “It was a great success, with the kids really engaging with the public and Jeni from Shelter when she spent an hour or so with them talking about homelessness.

"There was lots of financial support from the Garstang residents and visitors.

"But more importantly, there was a lot of engagement and chat where people were taking a genuine interest in how brilliant it was that children so young – aged six to 11 – were wanting to help and make a difference.”

Fox has secured £1,100 in online donations and he and his friends collected around £1,000 during the sleep out.

Donations came from lots of different people, including an unemployed girl who travelled specially to Booths to hand a £1 over to Fox, and a formerly homeless man who had managed to get back on his feet and start a decorating business.

Brian added: “It was lovely to chat to the lad that had been homeless for six months.

“He had had to live on the streets for virtually all that time and had managed to get back on his feet and was now back working. A real success story.

"He had a tear in his eye when he explained that it had been so tough with people ignoring him, being unkind and just feeling isolated, and he was so very pleased that children wanted to help people less fortunate.

"He knew from first-hand experience how much it would help the homeless.”

Booths gave the young campaigners – Fox, Elijah, Haydee, Coleby, Theo, Albi and Pol – permission to sleep outside their store, then treated them to breakfast at 8am to congratulate them on their efforts.

Brian said: “The Homeless Movement is now in its second year and has raised over £4,000 for Shelter and the homeless.

“Fox always wanted it to be a ‘movementm and he is so pleased that he and his school friends have raised so much money and awareness.

Every child has said that they want to do it again next year.

"The parents did their bit, but interestingly one of them said that they had never felt so vulnerable and nervous during the night, and that's in Garstang.

"Imagine what it would be like in a city and you were on your own?"

To dontate to Fox’s Just Giving page, click here