An army veteran spent a cold day ‘homeless’ in Berkhamsted to raise money and awareness for the many ex-soldiers who are forced to sleep on the streets after serving their country.
Ben Morton, 42, who spent 10 years in the British Army, set up a fundraiser for Walking With The Wounded, a charity who work with the estimated 6,000 homeless veterans in the UK.
The vet from Northchurch then camped out twice to raise money; first on Berkhamsted High Street during the day of November 8; and then overnight at The Lord’s Cricket Ground on November 22, as part of The CEO Sleepout.
Ben, who is now a leadership coach, said: “In Berkhamsted, it was a fascinating experience. I had a sign explaining what I was doing, but some people would avoid looking at me at all, or would even cross the road so they didn’t have to pass me.
“But the community was mainly incredibly generous. A lot of people stopped before reading the sign because they thought I was genuinely homeless, and others stopped specifically to donate to the cause.
“My friend posted about what I was doing in a Berkhamsted Facebook group, which led to some people coming to the High Street specifically to see me and donate. I wasn’t expecting that!”
Ben, who match-funded all donations out of his own pocket, raised £5,107.27 in total, including gift-aid.
You can find out more about his chosen charity at walkingwiththewounded.org.uk or see more about the CEO Sleepout at ceosleepoutuk.com
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