NEWS
EVENTS
To France and Back Again for Davie
Thursday 23rd August 2012 | Osh
Today in partnership with Guildford Action (GA) and Freedom Leisure members of the community and residents of Vaughn House in Guildford came together to fundraise for David Lucid 51 who died on the 11 of August due to a head injury in a Guildford car park. He was a long time member of local charity Guildford action who provide homeless assistance and help for families in need.
The idea for a charity swim - that equates to doing the English Channel saw so much support this morning that not only did volunteers swim the Channel, they made it back to England and further reaching Scotland in their collective distance - was born from Mike 45 who also lives at Vaughn House and friend of “Davie” as he was known. We wanted to raise enough money to buy a bunch of flowers for his funeral, but it grew into a commemorative bench in which excess funds would go back to GA.
As I sat along the pool of the Guildford Lido interviewing the Chief Executive of GA Joanne Tester and Mike it became apparent that Davie’s death encapsulates the multitude of issues that come with being homeless and the approach the government takes to address this.
Having lived rough for many years Davie was known by the people around him as being of the old “ rough sleepers.” Joanne tells me “he was an old fashioned rough sleeper with different moral value’. Today on the streets the invasive problem of drugs is ever present however Davie had a way of communicating to the younger generation of rough sleepers that made them stop and listen, a rare skill and one invaluable in this environment.
And it is no wonder when both Joanne and Mike describe Davie as being an inspirational character, quiet and unassuming. I hear only a great deal of love and respect in their voices whenever he is mentioned.
Always seen wearing his cap, Davie reneged the general stereotype, “he was a very intelligent and engaging man who could tell a great story” says Mike.
Our conversation heads in the direction of government policy and the real existence that many homeless people live.
“ The decision to live this way for many of our rough sleepers is a conscious decision, often people want to discard the pressures of the live they are living and chose this instead, where there is no responsibility,” Mike tells me.
Some of them have been very wealthy and are highly intelligent others have simply fallen on really hard times and this is the only option left to them, says Joanne who has worked at the centre for 15 years now.
I begin to hear a great deal of frustration at government policy and with all that is being told to me, I can understand why. "The GA is a safety net for us, when we fall it is there to catch us and sometimes bounce us back up, but without the net, often what is left is death," Mike explains.
Joanne tells me that the way they see, the government has an attitude that if they provide money for a bed and the bed is rejected then they have done everything they can and the responsibility lies with the person in need. What they fail to understand is that this place is a community. It’s a place to be safe and to decided freely their own decisions. Providing a house doesn’t address the issue.
Something as simple as being able to afford to send residents and families to visit the Lido is a clear example of their fiscal frustration.
“Many of these people have not swam for years and cannot afford to do so, it would be amazing if we could have them come in every now and then and swim with their fellow community where they can enjoy and be relaxed.”
A young man who also lives at the hostel tells me that he hasn’t swam in 20 years and today’s charity is the first time. So inspired was he by the experience that he vows to come again and make it a regular activity. And we all know the healing qualities of exercise.
It’s a poignant event, that so many people should come and give their time and laps to the death of not a homeless man or rough sleeper but a fellow human being who left a deep impact on the people around him. The organisation and enthusiasm shown by Mike and Joanne is a clear testament to Guildford Action and the need for more awareness around the issue of homelessness and the most effective ways of assisting people. Davie’s life and death has made a mark, one which we hope will see further positive action at GA and within the Guildford community.
