A Dorchester man has taken it upon himself to provide services to the homeless in the area.

Luke Bird, 37, has been working hard to address what he believes is a lack of services available to support people on the street.

Mr Bird has been cycling around Dorchester providing supplies to homeless people, as well as gathering support from the local community.

Mr Bird said: “Most nights I cycle around with a trailer on the back of my bike donating clothing to the homeless people.”

The reason why Mr Bird has acted so generously, is due to what he claims is a lack of support for the homeless in Dorchester since The Hub closed its doors in 2014.

The Hub ensured that vulnerable people left without a home had a safe place to go for support and advice.

Vital facilities were provided including hot showers, washing and laundry, dental and medical treatment, the internet, job search tools, advice leaflets and ways to keep in touch with family and friends.

Mr Bird has personal connections to The Hub, having worked there for eight years as a volunteer, having originally found getting a job hard due to his dyslexia.

His job centre adviser at the time found him a volunteering position at The Hub, where he worked until its closure. Although The Hub has closed, Mr Bird has continued to help the homeless.

Over the past two to three weeks, Mr Bird has gathered interest through his Facebook group, Helping the Homeless in Dorchester.

Mr Bird and other group members including Kevin Reed, have been approaching homeless people in Dorchester, asking them what facilities they need access to.

The group is meeting tomorrow at Dorchester market, where members will be hosting a hot food and clothing stall.

The stall in the market will be in place from 7pm, with the long-term aim to gain enough interest to provide this service weekly, before offering it on different days.

Speaking of the project, Mr Bird said: “I’m hoping that this project goes somewhere. I would eventually like this to be like The Hub number two. Currently there are no facilities for homeless people in Dorchester, so hopefully this can change that.”

The group is still looking for donations, but cannot accept cash. Instead, they ask for items like sleeping bags or clothing.

Search Helping the Homeless in Dorchester on Facebook or call 07543 708676.