This project often leaves you with a lot of sadness when you hear people’s stories and come to understand more about their circumstances. However, this week, we have received some lovely news which has strengthened our resolve to keep on keeping on.
A client who has suffered homelessness and ill health for much of his life and has never really had a penny to his name has finally been awarded his Personal Independence Payment. Thanks to our friends at Rainbow of Hope, he won his tribunal and is now in a much more secure position than he has ever been in before.
And what’s the first thing he’s going to do with his back payment, you say? Book a holiday to Torremolinos? Some new clothes? No. He is going to finally buy headstones for his parents’ graves. How lovely.
The Release Project volunteers have been working hard for weeks painting and decorating and generally sprucing up our new premises. Their progress has been hindered slightly by blocked drains which have been causing issues here since Christmas.
Last week, two of the Release crew finally decided to take action. The biggest problem was the location of the manholes which are situated in a locked yard next door. So, after finally tracking down someone who had a key for the site, Dave made his way down from the Valleys by train and bus carrying a large length of pipe, caustic soda and other bits and pieces and with help from Phil, began the task of clearing away ten years’ worth of blockages. We won’t go into detail!
Two hours later and, after hearing several screams and hysterical laughter from the yard next door, Laura went to investigate to find poor Dave in a sorry state and covered in….um…. Suffice it to say, clearing the blockage resulted in a geyser effect between the manholes and poor Dave needing hosing down!
The good news is the drains are now very clean and thanks to Go Air in Llanishen, Dave and Phil were treated to a free trampolining session with their boys on Saturday for working so hard. The bad news is Phil got a toe trapped in one of the trampolining nets and has injured himself!
Get well soon Phil (we need the painting finished!)
