‘WE’RE NOT HOMELESS JUST AT CHRISTMAS’

IT’S a cold and wet Wednesday evening in January. In a doorway near Primark, on St Mary’s Square in Swansea, three people are huddled together trying to keep warm under a duvet.

“We sleep here together,” says one man, Liam.

Hundreds of people would have spent Christmas on the streets of Wales’ towns and cities.

The scale of the homelessness crisis is clear to anyone who has watched the number of rough sleepers steadily increase.

Welsh homelessness and rough sleeping charity The Wallich says Christmas is when they receive the most donations.

But what happens after the festive period is over?

“It absolutely dies down after Christmas, we get loads at Christmas, stupid amounts,” Liam says.

The 30-year-old says that he has been homeless on and off for 10 years. Since coming out of prison he admits that he has struggled to find work and somewhere to live.

He hopes that he will be able to get off the streets this year.

“I always said that when I’m 30 I will sort my head out and I’m 30 now,” he added.

Sat next to Liam on the floor is Pinky, who is slim and petite. She is wearing a hoody and bobble hat.

She says that she takes drugs just to “forget”.

“Its freezing, I have gone past the stage of feeling hungry, my stomach has shrunk so much, I don’t care about myself enough to eat any more.

“Everyone’s situation is different, I’m here because I lost my children. I was on my own Christmas Day.

“When I’m sober I try and get myself clean but two weeks go by and nothing changes so you just come back to it.

“Smoking Spice just numbs everything. I’ve been a heroin and crack addict for years. When I had my kids I was clean.

“I didn’t take drugs until my kids were taken off me,” Pinky said.

On this one particular evening, we spent time with Where’s Doris, a group of volunteers who go out in the city centre every Wednesday and Sunday giving out things such as hot food, tea and coffee, tents and sleeping bags to the homeless.

The scheme is run by three friends, Nick Phillips, Carl Vickers and Craig Godbear – who have all experienced their own struggles in the past.

Nick, 44, spent more than two decades hooked on gambling, spending up to £3,000 each weekend. It cost him his home and almost ended his life

Nick has also been homeless himself, which is one of the reasons why he wants to help those on the streets.

He added: “Through my gambling addiction I’ve had a couple of mental health breakdowns. I had to go into hospital and when I came out I was homeless.

“I feel like I will be judged until the day I die. I have made bad decisions in the past because of my gambling addiction. I will always class myself as someone who is a recovering addict. .

“I don’t judge homeless people, they have complex issues. People make bad decisions and there are bad people out there but some of these people are not bad, they have just been dealt a bad hand in life. “Homelessness is getting worse.” This evening, there were many homeless people on the streets in the city centre.

Everyone seemed grateful to receive a warm meal of sausage, chips, mushy peas and gravy – which is provided by Mecca Bingo.

2020 is the fourth year that Carl Vickers has helped those on the streets.