Government FORCED to respond to homeless military veterans by Homes for Heroes campaign

EXPRESS.CO.UK’s campaign to get our military veterans priority housing and mental health care had its first victory today, as the sheer number of petition signatures forced the Government to look into the “epidemic” of veteran homelessness.

Cait Smith-Wilson runs Bolton’s Armed Forces Centre, but disagrees with the DCLG’s comments

”The DCLG says it is “investing £30 million in projects to help people at risk of sleeping rough, new to the streets or with the most complex needs” – but we can now reveal much of that funding went to totally unrelated things like horse riding clubs, a gardening project, a drama programme and even a wealthy school’s donation to a town council’s festival event.

Instead of giving the money to homeless veterans, the DCLG awarded £110,000 to a “woodland renewal project” applied for by the Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust.

It gave £5,000 to the British Embassy in Doha, Qatar, to host three unspecified events.

The Wellington College Academy Trust, owned by Wellington College – an exclusive boarding school where parents pay £12,370 a term – was awarded £17,251 to host an event at the Ludgershall and Tidworth town festival.”
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/773126/Military-veterans-Armed-Forces-Covenant-petition-Homes-for-Heroes-campaign-government