Sweeping statement to help appeal
WAR veteran Glenn Howat swapped his bomb detection robot for chimney brushes and has never looked back.
The former Sergeant Major hit on the idea for a new career when he struggled to find a qualified sweep after having a coal fire fitted at his new home in the county.
But now “Glenn the Sweep” is hoping his job will help him clean up for the British Legion because the Forces charity is struggling to raise money during the Covid crisis.
Glenn served his country for 22 years, and saw active duty in Iraq, Bosnia and Northern Ireland.
He joined the Royal Corps Transport as a young man in and moved onto the Royal Logistics Corps in April 1993 before finishing his career with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron, based at Ashchurch Troop in Tewkesbury.
While there he was the Number 2, operating the robot controlled vehicles that go in to test the ground before experts follow to cut the wires.
He then went on to become the Sgt Major responsible for discipline and training.
But during his spare time he swapped the smart uniform for overalls and trained with the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps.
“I have been sweeping since March 2014 and I absolutely love it,” said Glenn who now does around 1,000 chimneys a year.
“I just figured if I could not get someone qualified when I had the fire installed then other people would struggle too.
“It has nothing in common with the army and people say it’a just sucking soot, but I love having my own business and meeting so many different people.
“At first I thought it would just sup- plement my army pension but the Army teaches you to push yourself so I kept going.
“It went up from 200 sweeps a year to over 1,000 and now I have had to take somebody on to help.”
The married father of two says his son , 26, did help out with the chimneys before deciding to follow his father’s footsteps into the army but the craze for woodburners has helped business.
He also has a daughter that works in insurance and he lives in the Pludds, Forest of Dean.
Now he has raised money for the Royal British Legion, for Remembrance Day, by donating £1 from every chimney swept by his company Howats Chimney Sweeps Ltd.
“I just noticed that I hadn’t seen any veterans and thought they must really be struggling this year so I wanted to do something,” he said.
“They have helped friends of mine in the past and you never know when you will need them.”