A FORMER homeless man from Wirral has returned to the streets to fundraise for Charles Thompson’s Mission.

Frankie Burns, from Wallasey Village, was homeless for three years after he lost his job and his son and turned to alcohol.

While spending years in a tent at St Luke’s Church in Hoylake, the 52-year-old turned to Birkenhead homelessness charity, Charles Thompson Mission.

Frankie told the Globe: “I got more support from the kindness of strangers at the mission than I did from anyone else.

“In the years that I was homeless, I got more support from the mission than I did from the government or the police.”

The mission feed the homeless everyday and provide tents and sleeping bags for rough sleepers.

Now Frankie is giving back to the mission by taking part in a week-long sleep-out fundraiser where he returns to the streets.

The sleepout started on Monday, March 25, and will finish on Friday, March 29.

Frankie said: “I want to give back because the mission gave me so much help when I was at my lowest.

“I'd like to raise money to be able to help others in the same situation I was in.

“I still see it now more people on the streets, more not getting the support that they need from the government. If was not for the kindness of strangers and Thompson’s Mission I do believe I still be in my tent if not worse.”

So far, the fundraising page has raised more than £400 for the mission.

Frankie said: “The sleepout is going good. It’s cold at night but five days is nothing I can do it.

“People out there have been doing this for years plus the more money it gets for Thompson’s Mission the better.

“Without them, homeless people can't get by, especially in the cost of living crisis. People on the streets would suffer more but places like the mission keep people afloat.”

“I'm lucky to have a flat now and while I still have my mental health struggles, I'm back on my feet.”

To donate to the fundraising page click here.