New housing and rehab project for homeless veteran opens in Buxton
After leaving the armed forces and struggling with addiction, a former RAF veteran and his friend have opened a new housing and rehabilitation project in Buxton to help others.
Last month Building Bridges CIC welcomed its first homeless veteran to the housing and rehabilitation programme in Buxton.
The community interest company was set up by former RAF veteran Joe Bishop and James Wild.
After leaving the forces Joe suffered with alcohol addiction and his road to recovery took him away from his friends and support network.
In a bid to support homeless veterans in the area the duo decided to launch a programme which would allow those ex-service people to get sober and clean while living in a safe and secured home in the area they are from.
James said: “We are working with a great landlord who purchased the property for us because she believes in our vision and with the backing and financial support from High Peak Borough Council we have welcomed our first client at the end of May which is brilliant.”
The veteran, who is from Chesterfield, will be part of the programme for around two years and be helped with addiction and rehabilitation and be offered counselling as well as being part of the cleaning rota for the house, gaining work experience, confidence and life skills.
James said: “We are helping people who have reached rock bottom, people who have forgotten they matter so we want to change that.
“We will give them the skills not just to become drug or alcohol free but also working with organisations like Zink to get work skills and become employable again.
“Our dream is to get people properly back on their feet with a job and living on their own.” The plan is to add more people to the programme and have peer to peer support as well as that from professionals too.
James said: “Joe is four years sober now and this is his main job and focus.
“He has been where these veterans are and he knows change is possible.
“For too long it seems the help and support for veterans who have been through so much and seen so much just isn't there.
“When they leave the armed forces they struggle to make it in civilian life but we want to build that bridge with them and help them connect to a better future.”
James says the project will be funded by the borough council and the success of the clients moving on to have a new dependent-free life will prove the scheme has worked and then attract more people.
He added: “For some people this may be an 18-month, two year or even two and half year project.
“We are not rushing people through this. We want to take our time and ensure these veterans are fully ready, healed and clean to move on to the next stage of their lives.
“We are delighted to welcome our first person to the programme, we aren’t sharing his story as that is his to tell but we are glad he is here and we look forward to working with other Derbyshire veterans and helping them change their lives for the better.”