The tragic deaths of two homeless men in Medway over Christmas touched the hearts of many and led to shock in the community. In the first of a series of special reports we give an insight of what life is like for people living on the streets...

As temperatures continue to drop below freezing volunteers have been out in force across Kent doing whatever they can to help those with nowhere to call home.

We joined members of the Helping the Homeless All Over Kent Facebook group, set up following the deaths of two men in Chatham over the festive period, as they hit the streets.

It has attracted more than 1,100 members in less than three weeks and has been collecting donations of sleeping bags, warm clothing, food, and first aid kits, to give to people sleeping rough in Medway and Maidstone.

Among the volunteers was Kevin George, who ended up homeless for seven months due to his alcohol addiction until he turned his situation around.

"One of the big things is your self-respect goes out the window, and your personal care is no longer of paramount importance,” he explained as the group pounded the streets of Chatham and Rochester looking for people to help.

"You're scared, you're frightened, you're vulnerable. You're very much on offer to whoever walks past day or night.

"You're subject to abuse, you get a lot of 'sort yourself out', 'get a job' and that's without begging.

"I was never one to beg - they get even more abuse that what the general homeless get just for the fact they are asking for money for a cup of tea and that. It is not a good place to be."

Mr George says he’s heard stories about homeless people being verbally abused by passers-by, spat at, having beer poured over them or being urinated on by people coming out of bars and clubs.

"We spoke to a chap tonight and he has moved off Rochester High Street and is in a tent hiding up with a couple of others because it is safety in numbers," he said.

"It is not a clever place to be in, you are looking for somewhere safe and dry. You are looking for cardboard to sleep on so you are not sleeping on the concrete floor.

Related story

Demand for homeless shelter in one Kent town has already exceeded last year

"You have to carry a sleeping bag around with you all day long unless you have found somewhere to hide it because without your sleeping bag you are not sleeping through the night, you are sitting up."

The former prison officer, who used to live in Minster on the Isle of Sheppey, says once a person ends up on the streets it’s very hard to turn things around.

"You just think that's your life from now on,” he said.

“You think 'this is my rock bottom and I'm staying here'.

"You don't see a way out, it's like a bottomless pit that there's no way to claw yourself back out of."

Mr George, who was working and had a house when he ended up on the streets in 2007, said: "I was a serious drinker at the time, my home life was not clever, I felt sorry for myself and turned inwards and tried to find hope at the bottom of a bottle.

"But I had some good people that rallied round and built me up and found me support. They helped me tremendously and I turned it around.

"I haven't had a drink for six years and it's a better life."

But the 59-year-old says despite all the good work by voluntary groups not everyone living on the streets wants help because of addiction to drugs or alcohol or mental health issues.

“A hardcore just want to be left alone," he said.

“The time has to be right for them to make changes, if they are not ready it won’t work.

“You also have to know what services are out there to help, a lot of people on the street have mental health issues and they have not been treated or diagnosed."

Now living in Rochester High Street, Mr George said an act of kindness by a stranger can often keep someone living on the streets going.

"If you don't want to give them money, if you think that money is going where it shouldn't be going there's nothing wrong with buying a hotdog, a burger, a cake, and a hot tea or coffee," he said.

"It goes a long, long way when you are hungry and homeless I can tell you that. It's very much appreciated when you ain't got anything."

This was clearly the case as we came across our first homeless person, a man in his 50s, who had been homeless for eight months.

He declined to be interviewed, but sitting in a shop doorway in Rochester High Street at 8.30pm as the temperature dropped below freezing, he gratefully accepted a hot coffee and a yoga matt from the group so he didn’t have to sit directly on the ground.

Later that night we also came across a woman wrapped in a sleeping blanket in Chatham High Street, just one door down from where floral tributes remain for Michael McCluskey, who was found dead on Christmas Eve.

She was given a bag containing 'essential items' to help her through the following few days.

Mr George says council and charities must work together to end the problem of homelessness.

“We need permanent night shelters funded by councils and charities," he said.

"The councils could also use the information screens at bus and train stations to put details of drop-in centres and useful contact numbers for homeless people because not everyone knows where to go for help."

Naomi McMaster, 27, who founded the Facebook group, said she had been shocked at the plight of many people they had come across.

“I think the situation is awful to be honest,” said the mum-of-three, from Medway Road, Sheerness.

“We come out on an evening mainly and we’re freezing cold so I don’t like to imagine how they’re feeling when they are out every night.

“We go home to our warm beds but these people out on the streets don’t actually have a warm bed to go home to.

“I think more needs to be done and from councils or people with empty properties to do them up and turn them into shelters for people.”

• Coming tomorrow, how loan sharks are contributing to homelessness across Kent.