Concerned by homeless
Thursday 26th July 2007, 10:50AM BST.
I talked to two young men today, one called Tom, who is 20 years old, and the other is 17 called Gareth.
They are both homeless and sleeping rough on the streets of Shrewsbury town centre.
Tom tried to take his life on July 17 after taking 64 paracetamol with a bottle of sherry and cutting his wrists – which he showed me – with broken glass.
He was admitted the same day to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and spent two days there.
He was then released with nowhere to go and back on the streets.
I do not understand why he was not sectioned under the Mental Health Act for his own safety.
I am very concerned for the mental and physical well being of these young, vulnerable men.
Why have they fallen through the safety net of modern society?
Name and address supplied
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We too are very concerned about our homeless on the streets.
About a year ago thee were two chaps who sold “The Big Issue” on Pride Hill.
We always bought the magazine and gave them a little extra.
We thought their problem was alcohol.
Suddenly they disappeared. It was after Christmas. “You’ve probably killed them off by giving them all that money, (for alcohol was implied)” I was told.. So, feeling awful just in case, I e-mailed The Big Issue Offices and asked where the men had gone.
“Oh, they don’t work for us any more” Full stop new line. I couldn’t get any more information.
Another awful thing was a chap called Xavier (not a name one would associate with sleeping rough. He was about in Oswestry and had a cross German Shepherd. He slept in the churchyard with his dog until the church people (would you believe) complained. Then he slept in Barclays Bank Lobby…One day when I sat on the street beside him he showed me a cutting from The Guardian I think by Wynn Thomas re travels in Wales where he was mentioned…then he died.
Taken the place of these three people are those I can’t understand…but where have our English people gone…the ones who didn’t die?
These unfortunate people were once happy , if institutionalised in large hospitals and frightened if sent away. Now lots of them are abandoned by this government.
The government should have thought on…all these people will have nurses and carers who will be putting a cross on the ballot paper against the name THEY want to be the MP/AM… because that is what happens!
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Because a lot of people seem to think that homelessness is ‘not their problem’, despite the fact that its the one thing that could happen to each and every one of us.
Saying that however, the Kip project in Wellington, whilst I applaud their work, they dont make it easy for people wishing to donate goods such as food, blankets, bedding, sleeping bags, toiletries etc, nevermind your time. I work full time and I have on several occasions tried to donate goods only to arrive to a locked door and noone answering the phone. The office is only open for about half an hour a week which is in the middle of the week during the day which is no use if you work full time.
We need to take more of an active role in helping our homeless people back into some sort of habitable accomodation (and Idont mean grimy bedsits) as without an address, its difficult to get any form of benefits, nevermind a job.
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I don’t know what’s the matter with the government I really don’t. At one time people with problems were as the writer of the letter said that they are not now treated in the same way as they once were.
Institutionalised was a word that made everyone cough, but those in the institutions were looked after by jolly and compassionate staff, lots of them in this area farmers’ wives.
They were in an stmosphere where they felt happy and safe.
Now lots of those unable to cope as you (top) mentioned sleep under railway bridges and on the streets in cardboard boxes.
It is quite dangerous to hand them cash as a friend of ours in Manchester was jabbed in the hand with a needle when doing just this.
I think it’s very difficult to cope with those who are alcoholic unless they can be kept away form it, but without suitable incentive or legal er… persuasion how does one cope?
They worry about cannabis, but in my experience it’s a different type of people taking the weed than those with an alcohol problem.
I feel very fortunate to get bored so easily, otherwise we never know but for the grace of god go I and all that.
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is that why gb wants to build all them houses——-to put them in
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Why have we got homeless in the 4th richest country in the world ? That is what I would like to know !!!
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