TWO youngsters who were struck by the horrors of rough sleepers on the streets have presented a £154 cheque to a Trowbridge day centre which helps the homeless.
Brandon and Lottie Morgan-Geer were left shocked after watching a movie of the ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’ book which mum Gemma had previously read to them.
A Street Cat Named Bob tells the real-life story of a homeless busker and recovering drug addict called James Bowen, whose life is transformed by a stray ginger cat.
After seeing the movie, Brandon, 7, and Lottie, 5, asked their mum if homeless people exist in real life as well as in films.
When Mrs Morgan-Geer confirmed that they do and that there are lots of them, the shocked youngsters decided to do their bit to help.
The Castle Mead Primary School pupils turned their house into a pop-up café for one day and sold hot chocolate and biscuits to family and friends, raising £154 for Breakthrough Trowbridge.
They presented a cheque to Breakthrough Trowbridge manager, Reverend Barrie Dearlove, at the new Hub unit in The Shires shopping centre.
Rev Dearlove said: “I was absolutely amazed that two young children of that age would have such a heart to help homeless people.”
The youngsters have already been presented with a Civic Award from last year’s Trowbridge mayor Linda Self, who labelled their ideas as “absolutely fantastic.”
Mrs Morgan-Geer, a hypnobirthing practitioner of Gundy Grove, Hilperton, said: “They plucked the idea of a hot chocolate café out of thin air when I told them that there are homeless people, so I said let’s go for it.
“I thought it was important for them to watch the film as it looks at issues including addiction and how judgemental people can be, and we were so, so proud of how they responded.”
The young entrepreneurs now have plans to hold an ice cream sale to raise more money for Breakthrough Trowbridge, which runs a day centre at the Salvation Army building to support rough sleepers in the town.
The charity has so far raised around £20,000 to put towards buying and equipping its own premises.
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