Lost property is sorted to help the homeless

Coats, hats, scarves and gloves in good shape have been passed on to New Opportunities And Horizons (NOAH).

Luton station manager Joe Healy, pictured centre, said: “While most lost property found on trains and at stations is reunited with its owner, some things go unclaimed and they can make a real difference for someone living on the streets. This is something we realised could go a long way to helping people who have fallen on hard times.”

Joe’s colleagues Debbie Schafer and Karen Weller sort out coats good enough to pass on, while Paul Harknett in Thameslink’s distribution team brings them to Luton and delivers them to NOAH who then distribute them to the needy.

Chief executive of NOAH Jim O’Connor, second from left, said: “This is a terrific example of how good, thoughtful and caring people can be. It is particularly striking that, in the depths of winter, staff at Thameslink would have thought about people living on the streets or at risk of doing so.

“They have turned that concern into helpful, practical action by providing warm clothing from their lost property. Thameslink have been supportive of the work of NOAH in other positive ways, and I am very grateful to them. In this instance I offer a huge thank you to Joe and his colleagues; you have made a difference.”