A DORSET-wide project to feed those in need is being launched – and it's all thanks to a child's concern for someone hungry on the streets.

The Purbeck Pizza Box initiative aims to feed the homeless and vulnerable.

It is launching in Bridport this Thursday, January 28 (car park of St Swithin's Church in North Allington) and the plan is to move to diferent towns across Dorset.

The initiative is fronted by Tim Kidney, who works full time in IT but describes pizza as his 'passion'. He is raising £2,500 through a JustGiving page so that he may continue with the project throughout the winter.

The idea came to fruition when Tim took his children shopping for Christmas decorations, but found that his ten-year-old son, Frankie, was more concerned with feeding a homeless man outside the shops.

Tim said: "We were out getting Christmas decorations but he just wanted to buy food and drink for this fellow human. He wasn’t far from being in tears. We had a chat about it and it made me realise how lucky we are and how grateful we should be.

“The gap between people who are doing well and people who aren’t is getting bigger and bigger and now more than ever, with everything going on, I think they are being forgotten about more and more.

"Funding is going to be tough in future months for the organisations who look after the homeless and it’s such a simple thing to take an oven and cook some pizza for these people who are in such need of it.

He added: "It's not just the homeless, there’s plenty of people struggling financially now who can’t afford to eat properly.

"It upsets me and it makes me want to do something about it."

Tim, who lives in Corfe Castle, hopes to take this initiative county wide over the winter, before opening his mobile pizza oven to the general public once lockdown restrictions are eased. At this point he will present customers with the option of adding a donation on top of the price of the pizza, to help fund next winter's project.

Frankie will be on hand on Thursday to help serve up the pizza to those in need. Tim is planning to box up any left over food and deliver it to a local hospital for NHS staff to enjoy.

To donate to the campaign, or for further information, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/purbeckpizzabox