OPINION: Why it's time to offer a more compassionate approach to Mansfield's homeless
I was in the bath last night pondering how my life had gone and the inescapable words ‘not how I wanted’ sprung to mind.
Sure I have a decent enough house, a car, I’ve travelled extensively and, most important of all, I have a wonderful son. . . .but being single and friendless does leave a sense of unfulfilled loneliness and a ‘what could have been’ vibe.
But at the same time I know how lucky I really am and that I have no real cause to moan.
Some of the decisions I have made leave me with regret, but then who reading this cannot say exactly the same.
One man who can have cause for regret over the decisions made and the path his lifestyle choices took him is Mansfield man Shane Ward.
We were very lucky to feature Shane’s inspiring story of redemption this week in Chad’s look at the homeless situation in Mansfield.
Shane, for those of you who haven’t read the feature, spent far too long living rough on the streets of Mansfield and Sutton after a drug addiction took his life on a downward spiral.
It’s easy for people to look at people like Shane and mutter things such as ‘serves him right’ or it’s ‘his own fault.’
In a black and white world then it is hard to argue against. Shane made his choices, no-one else, and he made some bad ones.
In reality those slippery slopes are easy to mistakenly fall on and no-one intentionally sets out to become homeless.
Many years ago I developed a serious gambling addiction that could have led me to go down a similar path to Shane.
In situations like that you almost become incapable of making choices, Well you can make choices - but not sensible rational ones that is - because the addiction has its steely grip.
It’s only when you come out the other side that you start to think like ‘a normal’ person once again.
Some addictions are of course worse than others with individuals affected differently. Some will have more determination to break the cycle of addiction and others not as lucky to have what is needed. One thing for certain is that when you find yourself gripped by a crippling addiction you first need to accept that you need help and then to have that help available.
Shane was fortunate enough to receive help from the wonderful folk at The Beacon. They have been helping people around Mansfield for years now, providing food, shower facilities and plenty of understanding and support to agencies who can assist in their time of need.
Shane now has a roof over his head once again and volunteers extensively at The Beacon, giving something back to the charity that served him so well. His experiences are crucial to showing service users at The Beacon that things can be turned around.
Claire Nielsen, who runs The Beacon, believes anyone can become homeless if the situation is right. They are very sage words. The next time you walk past a rough sleeper it’s definitely worth taking a few moments of more considerate reflection than we all do at present.
That person on the floor isn’t a tramp who is living there for the laugh. They are an individual with a story to tell. They are a person who once had the same dreams and aspirations as ourselves. They are a person who made a few costly bad choices or were dealt a bad hand by life.
In short, they are a person who most likely needs the help of a more caring society to get them back where they belong. Isn’t it about time we all did a little bit more to make that happen?
That doesn’t have to mean chucking some loose change when you go past a rough sleeper. But the next time you have some spare tinned food in the cupboard or an old blanket your going to throw out, just consider what it could do for The Beacon and the folk who depend upon them for survival.
If you want to do your bit in helping Mansfield’s homeless, you can support the work of The Beacon by calling 07943 630952 during office hours or email [email protected]