Ged Dempsey, co-founder of The 3 Pillars Feeding the Homeless charity, sat down with The Hunts Post to discuss his charity's mission.

The Hunts Post, along with Black Cat Radio and Serenity Funeral Directors, is supporting The 3 Pillars charity this Christmas by running a winter campaign to boost donations.

The 3 Pillars was established in 2016 when Mick Pescod, another co-founder, identified a significant amount of homelessness in Peterborough.

Together, the pair used an old green van, affectionately called 'The Green Pig' by Ged, and set up a table in Peterborough to give out soup and sandwiches to homeless people in the city.

The 3 Pillars now has three vans to use across Cambridgeshire.The 3 Pillars now has three vans to use across Cambridgeshire. (Image: The 3 Pillars) The charity, which is run and supported by Freemasons, gained momentum quickly. Ged said that in the early days of the charity, they decided: "We cannot be a hand out, we have to be a hand up and break the circle."

Now, The 3 Pillars operates in Peterborough every Tuesday and Thursday, they run a food parcel service in St Neots every week, and work in Northamptonshire as well.

Our 2024 Christmas Campaign is supporting The 3 Pillars charity.Our 2024 Christmas Campaign is supporting The 3 Pillars charity. (Image: The 3 Pillars) With the help of community and Masonic donations, the charity now has three vans to use across Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

Their work does not stop there, however. The 3 Pillars supports other charities across the county to get people back into work. This includes those leaving prison and individuals who find themselves needing emergency accomodation.

Ged said: "We've facilitated housing for 279 people, and 164 of them are now working, off of benefits, and back into independent living.

"This Christmas Campaign highlights to people that there are those out there struggling, and they could live next door to you and you would never know."

It costs the charity around £800 a week to carry out their work.It costs the charity around £800 a week to carry out their work. (Image: The 3 Pillars) It costs the charity around £800 a week to do their work, so Black Cat Radio has launched a Just Giving Page to support The 3 Pillars charity - you can click here to visit the page and donate.

Ged added that physical donations are welcome this winter, including tents, sleeping bags, winter coats and non-perishable foods.

Donations can be left at The 3 Pillars drop off point at The Mortgage Brokers Ltd, Steel Close, Little End Road in Eaton Socon.