Homeless veteran goes from living in tent to new home thanks to community campaign

Colin Wootton set up camp by the side of Washington Highway and had been living there for about two years when a Facebook campaign was launched to support him.

Vic Lane, who is a member of the Houghton Chit Chat group and lives in Chilton Moor, put out a call for help, which saw a private landlord come forward to offer a tenancy on a flat and people offer donations of items to kit it out and make it feel like home.

Now the 53-year-old, who had to leave the Army due to his ill health, has sent his thanks to all those who reached out to help him.

Vic, 44, said: “Somebody had mentioned a homeless man living by the side of the Washington Highway and when I heard that I went to go and find him.

“He’d been living there for a while, just about 6ft off the main road, but you couldn’t see where he was for the trees until the leaves started to go.

“I think there should be a lot more done for our veterans.

“To think that these men and women are going out fighting for our country and then there’s nothing for them back home.
It’s really disgusting.

“But it’s been fantastic to think Houghton Chit Chat helped out, it’s been extraordinary what people have done for him.”

Vic, who is dad to Amber, five, added: “People went out an bought him things like towels and anything he needed, it’s been absolutely great.”

Colin, who is originally from Pennywell, was medically discharged as a private from the Durham Light Infantry in 1980 and has arthritis and mental health issues.

He is on disability benefits as well as his Army pension and found himself homeless due to a series of family problems and says he was living in a tent for two years.

Colin, who now lives in Easington Lane, said: “I had a proper bed in there and when the police came to check on me, they couldn’t believe how clean it was, I made it a real home.

“It’s down to these people that I’ve been helped and they even came and gave me a Christmas dinner.

“I really appreciate everything that they have done.

“I’ve been in hostels and I wouldn’t recommend them to anybody and I’d been in three when I left to live in a tent because it was better in my case because there were drugs and drinking going on and I don’t want to be around people like that.”

Sunderland City Council and its housing partners first had contact with Mr Wootton in September 2015, when he presented himself to them as homeless. It said: “Mr Wootton was offered accommodation and declined those offers before his application was closed when he said he was moving to an address in Roker.

“At the beginning of January 2018, a charity that works with the council had contact with Mr Wootton.

“We now understand that Mr Wootton has found new accommodation and wish him well in it.

“While homeless families and especially those with children are always priorities for crisis accommodation, applications from all individuals are treated equally and assessed on their circumstances.”