Homeless charity Project 16:15 to open self-funded Rushden cafe
Having experienced homelessness himself, the 56-year-old understands the "sense of worthlessness" and "lack of value" felt by many. He first ran away from home at the age of nine and spent much of his youth in care before serving time in prison before moving to Northamptonshire in 1986.For Mr Robertson, supporting rough sleepers is about more than just providing food. He said: "When you're enabling someone to wake up with a hot meal and a hot drink, it warms you up. It gives people a feeling of 'I can achieve something today' and helps them engage with other services. We make them feel human again."Since launching, Project 16:15 has served 100,000 meals – which Mr Robertson described as a "huge milestone". He is now focused on expanding the service and added: "We've got the support of the head chef from the University of Northampton and other local businesses. "But we're not stopping at one cafe. We've got a lot of future plans."
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