Could you help homeless veterans get off the streets by donating towards a new halfway house in South Yorkshire?

That’s the new appeal recently launched by Help 4 Homeless Veterans. The South Yorkshire charity plans to purchase a property that will help them put a temporary roof over the heads of more veterans experiencing homelessness.

The Buy a Brick project has a target of £400,000 which charity CEO, Steve Bentham-Bates, says will save them tens of thousands of pounds in hotel fees each year.

Last year, the small charity spent more than £80,000 supporting 73 veterans. But with rent prices rising, they are now keen to move forwards with their ambitious ‘halfway house’ plans which will leave more money in the pot to continue their wraparound service.

The charity supports the military community in Yorkshire and the Humber facing homelessness to get back on their feet.

They provide emergency stays in hotels or B&Bs while their trustees help them to secure social housing or private rented accommodation. They can also support veterans with the first month’s rent, housing bonds, and furniture.

Housing is just the starting point. They offer therapy sessions at a farm in Messingham run by Steve’s fellow RAF comrade, Jamie Quinn. Over the winter months they also delivered food parcels leading up to Christmas and doled out £100 winter fuel payments for elderly veterans who had lost their government fuel allowance.

But the new halfway house is 69-year-old Steve’s final swan song before he retires from the charity after ten years’ service. He joined as CEO in 2015 following a 24-year RAF career and a further 18 years in recruitment for The Regular Forces Employment Association.

“We all want to leave our mark on the world, but I want this to be the thing I go out on. I find it so upsetting that the people we support are almost always blokes who have served their country but they’re now at their wit’s end talking about suicide.

“We’re small enough to react quickly when people are in a crisis; once we get verification from military records, we can house people fast. But this new house will make things even smoother. If we can’t achieve it when our local MP, John Healey, is the defence secretary and is supporting our project then when will we?” Steve says.

Help 4 Homeless Veterans already has around £100,000 to put towards the property, thanks to ongoing support from organisations like the Army Benevolent Fund and the Veterans’ Foundation. But they’re encouraging the public to get involved by fundraising, donating or having a collection pot in their business premises.

“There are over two million veterans in the UK, but you wouldn’t know it as we don’t walk around with our blazers or badges on. We’ve supported over 1,100 veterans since the charity was formed in 2010 and on average we help rehouse around one person a week. We’ve got to have at least 12 months’ running costs in the bank to continue, but one phone call could see two or three thousand pounds go like that,” Steve says.

Despite government promises of ‘homes for heroes’ and millions of pounds in funding for initiatives like Operation Fortitude, the issue of homelessness among veterans remains a growing concern. Between three and four percent of the homeless population are veterans. Figures have increased by 14 percent in recent years. Mental health, relationship breakdowns and a lack of affordable housing is fuelling these figures.

There’s also a culture of pride and self-reliance amongst the Armed Forces community which prevents many veterans from asking for help when they need it.

Amber Guymer-Hosking knows all too well how invaluable the support provided by Help 4 Homeless Veterans can be. She turned to the charity in 2017 after being medically discharged from the army due to PTSD and knee injuries.

Having joined the medical corps as a teenager, she left the Army with no support and no home to return to. As her mental health declined, she found herself homeless with a young baby. Help 4 Homeless Veterans rehoused her in Mexborough where she stayed for two years until she was mentally strong enough to move back to her hometown of Lowestoft in Suffolk. She’s now involved in the charity and the plan is for her to be the live-in manager of the halfway house.

“This new building will mean we can immediately help someone instead of searching for a hotel with availability. We can get veterans off the streets quicker which will help with their mental health issues that many veterans suffer with.

“I’ve been there. I understand what they’re going through. It feels defeating. Your pride and ego disappear and you feel helpless. The support we give is vital for veterans and it’s why I want to give back.”

If you or your organisation wants to get involved in the Buy a Brick project, contact Steve for more information by emailing ceohelp4homelessveterans@gmail.com. Or visit their website.