Selfless teenage boy spends lockdown collecting empty crisps packets - in order to make sleeping bags for the homeless

A selfless teenager has spent his lockdown collecting hundreds of empty crisps packets - in order to make SLEEPING BAGS for the homeless.

Army cadet Rhyder Cameron-Wickes, 16, has been keeping himself busy by learning how to fuse together hundreds of empty crisps packets in order to create a warm, well-insulated sleeping bag.

Each sleeping bag - or bivvy bag, designed to slip over the top of a regular sleeping bag to provide an extra layer of warmth - requires 150 empty crisps packets, making it quite a time-consuming process.

Cameron, from March, Cambs., has to ensure the packets are all cleaned and flattened, before melting the edges together with an iron on a low heat, with a tea-towel on top, to form large sheets.

He must then cover these sheets with a large plastic sheeting, also ironed on, and join these together to form the bivvy bags - which will fit around a regular sleeping bag as well as personal possessions.

Cameron, who is a member of the Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force (ACF), has so far only completed one of the bivvy bags, having only started making them a couple of weeks ago.

But, after advertising for empty crisps packets on the Cambridgeshire ACF Facebook page, he has now had over 500 packets donated to him - setting him well on the way to creating more.

The "rewarding" crafts project is also helping the teen to complete the Volunteering section of his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Cameron said: "I don't have a set number of bivvy bags that I am trying to make - it's just how many I can make in the next year.

"I have to do my Duke of Edinburgh Volunteering for 12 months, so I will be doing this until at least the end of 2021.

"Each bivvy bag takes about six hours to make, and I usually do it in about three or four sittings.

So I could potentially make quite a lot of them over the next 12 months." He added: "It's been fun so far.

It is quite tricky, because it's a long process to make them.

"But it's a good way to spend my time while I have quite a lot of free time during lockdown.

"It's also really rewarding as I am hoping to give these bags out to the homeless once I have made a few more.

"Because crisp packets are made from foil, they keep a lot of heat in, which makes them really good to give out to help the homeless.

"It's a way of giving back to the community while also passing my Duke of Edinburgh Award." Rhyder was inspired to make the bivvy bags after discovering the Crisp Packet Project, invented last year by artist Pen Huston, who also makes the crisp packet bivvy bags.

He has already handed out his first completed bivvy bag to 30-year-old Terry Garbo, who has been sleeping rough on the streets of Peterborough, Cambs., for almost a year.

Terry said the bag will help his sleeping conditions by keeping himself and his possessions dry.

And Army Cadet Instructor Ros Whyall commended Rhyder's selfless project, saying the young sergeant has "excelled" himself.

Ros said: "DofE has been very challenging during lockdown.

"Sgt.

Cameron-Wickes has excelled himself during these difficult times, not only by completing his Silver Certificate of Achievement, but progressing onto his Gold award and set about this brilliant idea.

"Not only is he helping those that are less fortunate in the community, but he has also asked other cadets enrolled on their award to support him, should they need to complete their volunteering section.

"This is a great project and I wish him the best of luck in completing it." Ros added that Rhyder's project "fits perfectly" with the Army Cadet Values and Standards, one of which is selfless commitment - which he says is "clearly demonstrated" by Rhyder.

And Cambridgeshire Army Cadet officer Doug Stewart said: "Rhyder has consistently shown himself to be outstanding young man.

"He has taken a leading teaching role at his detachment, and has been appointed to the prestigous position of Lord Lieutenant's Cadet earlier in the year.

"The Army Cadet Force is all about improving and inspiring young people, and Rhyder has been inspired to help his community during lockdown with this ingenious project.

"He is a terrific role model to the other cadets and we are proud of him." Meanwhile, Peterborough-based homeless charity, Safer Off The Streets, have commended Rhyder's actions, and said that his "intentions are definitely in the right place".

A spokesperson for the charity said: "All our partners in the Safer Off the Streets partnership are committed to supporting rough sleepers into accommodation, which we have had great success with during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We recommend that if people want to donate these items, they contact the partnership, their local charity shop or the Salvation Army, who will donate on your behalf to people in need." Empty crisp packets should be cleaned and flattened before posting or delivering to the FACT charity located at 5 Martin Avenue, March PE15 0AY.

A selfless teenager has spent his lockdown collecting hundreds of empty crisps packets - in order to make SLEEPING BAGS for the homeless.

Army cadet Rhyder Cameron-Wickes, 16, has been keeping himself busy by learning how to fuse together hundreds of empty crisps packets in order to create a warm, well-insulated sleeping bag.

Each sleeping bag - or bivvy bag, designed to slip over the top of a regular sleeping bag to provide an extra layer of warmth - requires 150 empty crisps packets, making it quite a time-consuming process.

Cameron, from March, Cambs., has to ensure the packets are all cleaned and flattened, before melting the edges together with an iron on a low heat, with a tea-towel on top, to form large sheets.

He must then cover these sheets with a large plastic sheeting, also ironed on, and join these together to form the bivvy bags - which will fit around a regular sleeping bag as well as personal possessions.

Cameron, who is a member of the Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force (ACF), has so far only completed one of the bivvy bags, having only started making them a couple of weeks ago.

But, after advertising for empty crisps packets on the Cambridgeshire ACF Facebook page, he has now had over 500 packets donated to him - setting him well on the way to creating more.

The "rewarding" crafts project is also helping the teen to complete the Volunteering section of his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Cameron said: "I don't have a set number of bivvy bags that I am trying to make - it's just how many I can make in the next year.

"I have to do my Duke of Edinburgh Volunteering for 12 months, so I will be doing this until at least the end of 2021.

"Each bivvy bag takes about six hours to make, and I usually do it in about three or four sittings.

So I could potentially make quite a lot of them over the next 12 months." He added: "It's been fun so far.

It is quite tricky, because it's a long process to make them.

"But it's a good way to spend my time while I have quite a lot of free time during lockdown.

"It's also really rewarding as I am hoping to give these bags out to the homeless once I have made a few more.

"Because crisp packets are made from foil, they keep a lot of heat in, which makes them really good to give out to help the homeless.

"It's a way of giving back to the community while also passing my Duke of Edinburgh Award." Rhyder was inspired to make the bivvy bags after discovering the Crisp Packet Project, invented last year by artist Pen Huston, who also makes the crisp packet bivvy bags.

He has already handed out his first completed bivvy bag to 30-year-old Terry Garbo, who has been sleeping rough on the streets of Peterborough, Cambs., for almost a year.

Terry said the bag will help his sleeping conditions by keeping himself and his possessions dry.

And Army Cadet Instructor Ros Whyall commended Rhyder's selfless project, saying the young sergeant has "excelled" himself.

Ros said: "DofE has been very challenging during lockdown.

"Sgt.

Cameron-Wickes has excelled himself during these difficult times, not only by completing his Silver Certificate of Achievement, but progressing onto his Gold award and set about this brilliant idea.

"Not only is he helping those that are less fortunate in the community, but he has also asked other cadets enrolled on their award to support him, should they need to complete their volunteering section.

"This is a great project and I wish him the best of luck in completing it." Ros added that Rhyder's project "fits perfectly" with the Army Cadet Values and Standards, one of which is selfless commitment - which he says is "clearly demonstrated" by Rhyder.

And Cambridgeshire Army Cadet officer Doug Stewart said: "Rhyder has consistently shown himself to be outstanding young man.

"He has taken a leading teaching role at his detachment, and has been appointed to the prestigous position of Lord Lieutenant's Cadet earlier in the year.

"The Army Cadet Force is all about improving and inspiring young people, and Rhyder has been inspired to help his community during lockdown with this ingenious project.

"He is a terrific role model to the other cadets and we are proud of him." Meanwhile, Peterborough-based homeless charity, Safer Off The Streets, have commended Rhyder's actions, and said that his "intentions are definitely in the right place".

A spokesperson for the charity said: "All our partners in the Safer Off the Streets partnership are committed to supporting rough sleepers into accommodation, which we have had great success with during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We recommend that if people want to donate these items, they contact the partnership, their local charity shop or the Salvation Army, who will donate on your behalf to people in need." Empty crisp packets should be cleaned and flattened before posting or delivering to the FACT charity located at 5 Martin Avenue, March PE15 0AY.