Man uses Reddit to pull together 'resource map' for Britain's homeless

Andy Tulpett is building a map of services and resources for the country's homeless

Andy set up a community organisation after an injury left him homeless (Facebook - Focal Local)

A Reddit user is mobilising social media users to help create resource maps to be distributed to homeless people around the UK.

People are invited to submit any services or resources available to the homeless that they might know of to a database, including food giveaways, CV and job hunting help, suit lending and shower facilities.

Andy Tulett, known as 'roamingandy' on Reddit, originally started the project with a London focus. The target was to distribute 200 laminated maps to the people sleeping on the streets of London showing them where they could access useful resources.

The project received such a positive response that it has gone UK-wide, with other users being encouraged to print out their own resource maps and distribute them in the city where they live.

Mr Tulett runs a project called Focal Local, which describes itself as ”an open, encouraging and supportive community for people who want to explore creative and fun ways to make our communities friendlier, more connected, safer and happier for everyone to enjoy living in.”

Andy sustained a degenerative neck injury just before he went to university which left him unable to work upon graduation, and he spent a year homeless, squatting and dumpster diving for food.

During this time, he set up Focal Local “to build my own job which I could work on any days that my health allowed” and has been working on the project ever since.

Focal Local hosts community events and organises social action and social empowerment projects in London and around the world.