Tragically a good friend of mine passed away a year ago. He was kind, chivalrous, selfless and loving. At no point did he look to put himself first.

This man was a solider and served for his country but found himself homeless after not adjusting to normal life.

His outlook on life was always refreshing. Although he was homeless and didn't have much family to speak of he always had a smile on his face. He would often turn down the offering food or even money. At one point he offered me change when I had forgotten my wallet!

Being homeless leaves you vulnerable to many dangers such as being abused, attacked or starving. Another danger that seems to go hand in hand with being homeless is the use of drugs and controlled substances.

Last year my friend died of a drug overdose. There is no way of knowing whether this was accidental or whether it was suicide. These are the dangers that they face on a daily basis. Soldiers who have fought in wars often suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Even if they do not show it and put on a brave face they have been through a great deal of trauma and do not always know how to cope with it.

Some of you may wonder why I didn't ask my friend to live with me? Not every household allows for that circumstance and I wish mine did.

Your donation will go towards creating a alternative we can all turn to. In honour of my friend and in association with a development company called S12, a complex will be built that will allow homeless people to have their own address, their own space and somewhere to call home. The complex would also have counselling or therapy facilities for those that need it. They will also receive help in finding new jobs and getting qualifications in the relevant fields. Everything needed for their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. This will be the first of many.

The £300,000 will not cover all costs but will be a great help.

On behalf of my late friend thank you in advance.