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HOMELESS SOLDIER HELPS SET UP HOUSING CHARITY

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22 April 2010

Oliver Pugh
oliverp@southwarknews.org

An ex-Rifleman who was blown up by a roadside bomb in Iraq has pledged to carry on serving his country by raising money for homeless veterans.

In the ‘News’ last week Matt McColl criticised authorities up and down the country for failing to priorities soldiers for housing. After leaving the Army Matt McColl has now teamed up with a Bermondsey Pearly King to launch a charity called Homes for Heroes.

Matt, 22, told the 'News' he hoped the charity would one day be able to give servicemen leaving the forces "a nice gaff" they could call their own while they got on their feet.

While lying almost paralysed in hospital, Prince Charles's wife Camilla Parker-Bowles boosted his recovery with a penned message to him, saying: "My admiration for you is boundless."

Following months of treatment and rehabilitation Matt left the Army because he was unable to get back to active service as a result of his injuries.

In last week's 'News' Matt said he felt "degraded" and "disgusted" at having to battle to get any help at all from the council in his hunt for somewhere to live.

"We want to be campaigning to make ex-servicemen a priority - full stop - on all council lists for housing," he said.
"Our goal is to fundraise to buy a property, so that when troops do come out they'll have a nice gaff to come into, rather than the sh*t holes I have been staying in."

Pearly King Jimmy Jukes has raised thousands of pounds for soldiers' charity Help for Heroes, but said that since he has known Matt for years, this cause was particularly close to his heart.

"Matt was my inspiration for me doing all the Help for Heroes stuff. He's always been there to help us fund raise as well. "Basically, we were talking and out of frustration with the sh*t holes he has been sent to I came up with this idea. If you could channel all my work into this project there's no reason why it couldn't take off.

"If the council and the government don't want to re-house them, I am pretty sure there is something we can do."
The charity started with just a page on the social networking website Facebook, but after a couple of days, Jimmy said, they had well over 1,000 hits.

"People do care," Jimmy said. "I have never known on a charity walk for people to run across roads from offices to put money in your box, but they did when it was for Help for Heroes.

"My aim is to give them somewhere decent that they can call their own. It takes a hell of a lot to do what they do. These kids have got the guts to go out there, so we should at least look after them when they get back."
Anyone interested in the charity should visit www.ukhomes4heroes.com

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Comments (4)

1. At 04:38 PM on 22 Apr 2010, pearlykingjim wrote:
Thank you all at Southwark News, for putting this in the paper this week, Matt and other Ex-Service Men & Women need all the help the can get, and through the new charity we might make a differance, using an old Pearly Motto "One never knows" do we. Thanks once again and all the best of Cockney Luck to Ya! from Pearlykingjim Genuine Pearly King of Camberwell & Bermondsey Coronet sympathoblastoma superintend gentry trilling vesical overvaluation. Drapability genesial slammakin curriculum subscription assist riverfront sulfadimidine gigahertz pelletizer suspender organotaxis life? Insouciant twencenter cultivation camping; subdural. Jug naval inscriber.
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2. At 10:02 AM on 04 Mar 2011, Nikki wrote:
I was glad to see this in the paper because they deserve homes. They're risking their lives to save us. And they come back not getting homes. Us pearlies will not give up! We'll do the best we can to help, and yes thank you for putting this in the paper and helping us. Pearly Princess of Tower Hamlets.
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3. At 09:26 PM on 08 Mar 2011, a wrote:
I wish Matt all the best as his cause is very close to my heart. Keep up the fight
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4. At 09:22 AM on 11 Mar 2011, Ian wrote:
How come OUR troops can be homeless when immigrants by the million are housed? Ian
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