Conwy veteran to sleep rough to raise money for Armed Forces charity

Charles Cordell, a former member of the Royal Artillery, will be taking part in Royal British Legion Industries’ (RBLI) “Great Tommy Sleep Out” with a group of fellow Llandudno veterans.

Participants will be braving the cold for a night this month in aid of more than 6,000 military veterans living on the streets in the UK.

Last year, the demand for RBLI’s services for homeless veterans increased by 45 per cent, coupled with the problems thrown up y the cost of living crisis.

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Conwy veteran helps raise more than £1,000 for Armed Forces charity by sleeping rough

The charity expects the cost of housing those it already supports to more than treble.

Every penny raised by the Great Tommy Sleep Out campaign will go directly to RBLI’s wide range of services providing a home, welfare and employment support to military veterans.

RBLI, which is a separate charity to the Royal British Legion, provides a home to more than 300 veterans and their families through its Kent village, including homeless veterans through their emergency accommodation, Mountbatten Pavilion.

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At the heart of the village is the charity’s social enterprise factory, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, which provides employment opportunities to veterans and people with disabilities.

All veterans living on the village are provided with a tailored welfare support programme to help them regain their independence and overcome challenges caused by physical or mental disability, drug or alcohol dependency, and unemployment.

Charles, who raised more than £1,000 by completing the same challenge last year, said: “We are a group of veterans that are lucky enough to have come home.

“But there are over 6,000 other veterans who are still struggling to find a place they can call a home, who are sleeping rough on our streets every night.

“In our group we have at least one veteran who has experienced homelessness. It is an issue we all feel strongly about. It is an ongoing misery of war.”

Visit RBLI’s website to find out more about how you can support this challenge.

North Wales Pioneer | Llandudno