Former Gazette reporter Joe Ware spent just £1 a day on all food and drink for five days as part of the Live Below the Line campaign taking place next month. The challenge saw him live below the poverty line, like 1.4 billion people around the world who survive on less than a £1 a day.

Mr Ware, 29, who worked on the paper for four years and was its Malmesbury correspondent, is encouraging Wiltshire residents take up the challenge from May 7-11. As well as getting an insight into the lives of those in poverty, participants can raise funds to help people in the world’s poorest communities.

Mr Ware, who used to live in Calne, said: “Not being the most creative cook I was rather dreading the prospect of having to make my £5 stretch the whole week. But with a bit of research and planning I was able to prepare some surprisingly tasty egg fried rice, baked potato with beans and sausages and mash.

“Twenty Tesco value frozen sausages for £1.10 was a lifesaver.

“Lunches proved less successful as my attempt at ‘scotch broth’ turned out to be a tasteless grey sludge. Adding salt and gravy midweek turned it from grey to brown but it was still pretty grim.

“The real hardship was surviving without my usual supply of chocolate and a trip out to the pub saw me sipping two pints of water rather than the beer my friends were drinking.

“But despite that it was good to get a glimpse at how millions of people in the world live and be part of a campaign which is raising awareness for such a good cause.”

By completing the challenge, Mr Ware raised more than £100 to support the work of Christian Aid, for whom he now works. Last year, 10,000 people worldwide took the Live below the Line challenge, raising more than £1million. This year the bar is set even higher.

The money raised through sponsorship will help people like Mehrnigor in Tajikistan who is a single mother of two boys. With help from Christian Aid she now has her own house. Working on a neighbouring farm, Mehrnigor earns 28p a day and struggles to feed her family. Thankfully, her brother lent her a cow, so the family can supplement their diet of bread and sweet tea with milk and yogurt. When asked what she would do if someone gave her 7.5 Somoni (the equivalent of £1), Mehrnigor said: “I could buy four potatoes, four onions, half a cabbage and a little oil. I would make a large pot of our national soup that would feed my whole family for three days in the cold winter months. Or I could buy 1 kilo of sugar with 7.5 Somoni.”

Mr Ware added: “Many people think that prices in the UK are more expensive than in developing countries, but that isn’t necessarily true. In Gaza, cooking oil is three times the price than in the UK, and in Tajikistan a bag of sugar costs the same as in a supermarket.”

To join thousands of people across the UK this May (7-11) taking part and to get tips and recipes visit www.livebelowtheline.com/uk-christianaid