A RETIRING market trader from Beanacre is doing a 24 hour tradeathon in order to raise money for homeless charity Julian House.

Steve Rattley, 49, of Birds Cottages, set-up stall at Green Park Station in Bath when he was forced to take early retirement after breaking his back at age 31.

Now the former civil servant is closing his stall and wants to give something back to the homeless people he has befriended whilst working there by opening up for a whole 24 hours on Thursday, April 14.

Mr Rattley said: “I see the homeless people every day down here and the amazing work that Julian House does.

“I am going to retire from being a trader and I had a sense of duty to raise a few quid for the homeless that they provide refuge for.

“I have friends that have gone through the Julian House course and seen first-hand the positive effects that it can have.

“It would just be incredible to finish off my trading career doing something like this, it makes me sleep well.”

Mr Rattley, who also suffered a heart attack four years ago, previously held a fundraiser for the British Heart Foundation in Corsham High Street in 2012.

Julian House is a charity set up to offer direct support to homeless people and operates more than 20 different projects, accommodation sites and social enterprises in Bath, Bristol and Wiltshire.

Mr Rattley added: “Where I trade there are a number of homeless that stay. There are probably around half a dozen I have spoken to.

“The course that they do at Julian House does work and I have seen several people go through it and become productive members of society.”