A HOMELESS veteran with a heartbreaking back story has been rescued from sleeping rough in woodland on the edge of Barnsley thanks to the new street kitchen set up by fellow veterans.
The soldier, who does not want to be identified, has been homeless for eight years after experiencing a string of tragedies - his wife died, his two daughters were both killed in a road accident, and then he was diagnosed with cancer.
Although originally from Newcastle he has been in and around the Barnsley area for two years.
Three weeks ago he turned up to the new street kitchen service run by Tony Simpson and his colleagues which has featured twice in the Chronicle over the last month.
He first turned up on the same night the service was disrupted when questions were asked about whether the volunteers had permission to feed the homeless in Churchfield Peace Gardens.
The volunteers packed up and left feeling very angry, but there was a happy ending when last week the Chronicle revealed the problems have been resolved and the street kitchen now has a new home and the backing of the council.
But Tony and the team had since lost touch with their unnamed soldier.
“We were talking to him that night when we had to pack up and go,” said Tony. “But in all that went off, we lost him. We turned around and he’d gone.”
The soldier had told Tony that he’d been living in the woods at Woolley Edge services on the M1, and had set himself up a base on either side of the motorway.
“We actually went up there four nights in a row looking for him, but we couldn’t find him.”
But then last week, when the street kitchen was running from its new home at Temperance Hall, Pitt Street, their mystery man came along.
“We were just ecstatic,” said Tony. “It was the best thing that could have happened.
“It turned out he’d actually been in Barnsley Hospital getting some treatment, which is why we couldn’t find him.”
Tony spoke to Tom Wood, who runs the Barnsley charity Help 4 Homeless Veterans, and straight away the soldier was found accommodation in a Barnsley bed and breakfast, and has this week been found some supported accommodation to help him get back on his feet.
“His story is a very very sad one,” said Tony. “He suffers post traumatic stress disorder as well. When he disappeared we really thought we’d lost him. We knew we’d only really find him at night.
“He has no problems with drugs or alcohol, so in the daytime, he would just sort of blend in. If you saw him you’d never guess there was anything wrong. He’s a really lovely bloke.”
Tony said the street kitchen had been set up by veterans to help anybody in need regardless of military service, but had always hoped to be able to help ‘at least one veteran’.
“Getting them a roof is the first thing, but what they really need is their own door that they can close and feel safe behind.”
Tom Wood, of Help 4 Homeless Veterans, said the veteran would be moving into furnished accommodation in the Barnsley area this week.
“We are all volunteers, so it is always very rewarding when we are able to help someone like this,” he said.
“The street kitchen got in touch with us to see if we could help, we’ve managed to get him into bed and breakfast for the last few nights and we’ll have him in fully-furnished accommodation by the end of this week.”
