‘If it wasn’t for legion charity, I’d still be homeless’
Veteran says move to £22m village saved him
A homeless ex-soldier with PTSD who felt he had nothing left to live for has praised a new £22 million veterans’ complex set to help others like him.
The Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI), based in Hall Road, Aylesford, is aiming to build a Centenary Village to celebrate 100 years of employment, training, accommodation, care and support for ex-servicemen and women.
The village will be located in Hermitage Lane, near Maidstone, and will provide home and welfare support to disadvantaged former service personnel.
The site, due to open later this year, will comprise of 22 adapted apartments for veterans in urgent need, 16 new family homes and a further 24 assisted living apartments for older veterans.
Future construction will also see a community centre with accessible gym built.
The RBLI says it saw a 45% increase for its services last year and estimates 6,000 veterans are living on the streets.
The project has already directly helped Jay Williamson, who served in the Army for 11 years.
He said: “I was an infantry soldier in the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment and after doing two tours of Afghanistan I was diagnosed with PTSD.
“Alcohol helped me sleep and was my way of blocking out what we had all seen and been through together.
“I couldn’t go a day without drinking, it was so dangerous. My marriage broke down and I was homeless.
“My mental health spiralled out of control, I felt like I had nothing to live for and believed
the world would be better without me.
“As much as I wanted to give up the alcohol, I was now at a stage where my body was dependant on it – it was a form of self-medication. I was in a vicious cycle for a long time.”
After sleeping in a tent in Folkestone, he decided enough was enough. His sister, Katy, contacted the RBLI, who offered Jay temporary accommodation at Mountbatten Pavilion last April.
In November he moved to a permanent flat in Victory House on Hermitage Lane.
The building opened in September 2017 and is part of the first phase of the Centenary Village site built specifically for veterans
who are wounded, injured, sick, or at risk of homelessness.
Jay, 40, added: “I cannot thank RBLI enough for the emotional, mental and physical support I have received from them.
“They helped me do a home detox, found me some volunteer work and offered support for my mental health.
“I have stopped using alcohol for all the answers. I look at life a lot more positively. It might sound silly, but when you are sober you can see more clearly.”
Jay now works at Kent Life, gardening and fulfilling his passion of working with animals.
“Ten years ago, I never thought I would be where I am now,” Jay added.