I am a 51-year-old ex-serviceman. After leaving the Armed Forces I settled down in East Wiltshire and got a job I thoroughly enjoyed. After 10 years I lost both my job and home, and my life became somewhat of a nightmare. What is it people often say, “It will never happen to me”. Well regrettably it did happen to me and I was now in a world that was alien to me.

I registered myself homeless and was living rough in the Salisbury area for a while at a complete loss. I didn’t know where to turn mainly through ignorance and perhaps through pride. I was given the opportunity to view a property in Chippenham and obviously took up this opportunity with a feeling of “this might be a chance to get my life back”.

It certainly did just that, I had to spend a week living rough in Chippenham before getting the keys to the property.

This was the time when I first came into contact with Doorway through reading an article provided by Wiltshire Council. With apprehension and again a little pride creeping in I visited Doorway where I was met by very, very friendly staff, offered a hot drink and a hot meal and the opportunity to take a hot shower. I was also helped very thoroughly and more importantly thoughtfully in giving me advice on how to settle into the new property and into Chippenham which I hadn’t been to before. If they couldn’t help me directly they were brilliant in giving me details of people and organisations that could.

Since my first visit to Doorway and with the continued help and support given by staff and volunteers I am now settled into the area and now have a property I once again can call home.

Doorway as the name applies is an opening to a new and better life and without their help and support I know that I would not be in a position to say that “Yes I have got a new life”. I still visit Doorway twice a week to meet new friends over a coffee and a meal to talk about life in general. Also I know that there are people there who are willing to give up their own time to offer help and support to people who need it and that is really appreciated.