“It’s the coldness, the not knowing what you’re going to do with your day. I had everything I owned in six bags.”

Richard O’Neill, 41, has spent his life on and off the streets. But now, settled in accommodation, he volunteers at Maidstone Day Centre, helping the homeless.

He spoke about his experience on the streets, to coincide with International Volunteers Day today, as charity Homeless Care launched its You Can Help campaign, supported every year by the Kent Messenger.

The charity operates the day centre in Knightrider Street, offering showers, meals and housing and employment advice.

The campaign encourages everyone to donate goods and food to the centre. The items will also be used for its foodbank, helping families in crisis.

Richard started running away from his Oxford home aged just 12, and had his first homeless “spell” at 17.

“Growing up I didn’t always make the best decision or help myself,” he said.

“The best part of my life I have spent being on drink and on drugs.” Richard has now been clean for four years.

Being homeless can be frightening. Once he found a group burning his tent to create a fire, in order to burn rubber off stolen railway tracks. Members of the public can also violently lash out.

Before Maidstone, Richard moved from High Wickham to a village just outside Durham, where he knew nobody and the council gave him a two-bedroom house to manage.

He embarked on counselling and social care courses, but the isolation and responsibilities of running a home put a strain on his mental health.

A position caring for a friend in Maidstone with Type 1 diabetes came up and he travelled to Kent. However at the end of lockdown he lost his job and was made homeless in an unknown town.

“I was just under four years clean, I wanted to keep being clean but it’s not always easy, being in a town you don’t know.

“My biggest concern was I didn’t want to mix with the local drinkers and drug takers, I stayed out of the way,” he said.

He was homeless for a week before being placed in emergency accommodation, after contacting Maidstone council’s outreach team.

Immediately, he started volunteering at the Debra charity furniture shop in town five days a week.

“I worked as many hours as they could give me. I didn’t want to be just sitting at home with people not on the same track as I was,” he said.

He said a lot of people don’t understand that being homeless can “happen to anyone.”

“I have seen it where people’s families are torn apart, they didn’t make the right decision, It can be losing a job through no fault of your own and that can have a knock-on effect.”

He spoke to KentOnline's sister paper the Kent Messenger in his first week of volunteering at the centre, after manager Matt Lamb offered him the position.

“It has been marvellous, it’s nice to be able to give something back and knowing I can help someone that’s struggling,” he said.

His long-term ambition is to get a job in a place like the day centre.

To donate to You Can Help, drop off donations at Morrisons in Sutton Road and Larkfield, and Sainsbury’s in Romney Place.

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