What started as just a dozen coats is now around 40 (Picture: East News Press)

A kind-hearted woman has come up with a novel way to help freezing cold homeless people keep warm this winter.

As temperatures continue to plummet across the UK, Fay Sibley decided to collect a dozen unwanted coats from friends and family and set up a small stall outside Colchester Library in Essex.

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To get the ball rolling she created a sign saying: ‘Need a coat? Take one. Want to help? Leave one.’

As passersby spotted the goodwill gesture, dozens more coats have started to appear and Fay’s Facebook post has been shared more than 1,000 times.


Fay said: ‘I took a picture and asked people to share it, and later the same day there were about 40 coats. There were about ten there last night.’

Fay Sibley got together with family and friends to donate about a dozen coats (Picture: East News Press)

From this to this….! Well done Colchester! Posted by Fay Sibley on Saturday, January 7, 2017

‘I have been overwhelmed and hopefully we will get even more momentum,’ she added.



A pensioner who noticed the coat exchange, said: ‘It’s lovely to see people can still be kind and look after their fellow humans.

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‘It’s all doom and gloom at the moment, so the lady who set this up really is an angel in my eyes.’

Fay’s friend Jo Bailey, said her three-year-old daughter has also been helping out by spreading the news on the streets.

‘Olive told a couple of guys sleeping outside a shop to wake up because they could get a coat. They were really grateful and chuffed,’ she said.

What to do if you see someone sleeping rough (Picture: Getty Images) Just contact homeless charity Streetlink and fill out a quick form to say where the homeless person is sleeping and the time you spotted them. You can find them at streetlink.org.uk, call the 24 hour hotline on 0300 5000914, or even download the StreetLink app on smart phones. For more details about reporting a homeless person to Streetlink, our previous story goes into much more detail.