by Sam Hawcroft
Veterans charity Hull 4 Heroes has been presented with a £1,000 donation from Withernsea’s Blue Light Weekend, following its involvement in the event’s first-ever Military Village.
The cheque was handed over during a visit to the charity’s headquarters in Princes Quay, Hull. It follows a successful summer for the charity, which had a busy presence at the Military Village during the event on August 2–3.
Hull 4 Heroes founder Paul Matson said the charity had not expected to be one of this year’s four chosen beneficiaries, which also include Withernsea RNLI, Withernsea Explorer Scouts, and the local fire service.
“I didn’t know until the weekend itself,” Paul said. “We knew we were doing the event, and then a little later they told us we were going to be one of the recipients. It was a lovely surprise.”
The Hull 4 Heroes stall at the Military Village offered information, merchandise and conversation for those interested in the charity’s wide-ranging support services for veterans. Paul said the exposure that the event gave Hull 4 Heroes had been hugely valuable.
He said: “We’d never been to Blue Light Weekend before, so to see how it has evolved was fantastic. There were a lot of people there and many came to talk to us, find out what we do, and learn more about the support we offer. Some hadn’t heard of us at all. There are quite a lot of people who’ve moved to the coast from West Yorkshire and served in the military. Now they know where to come if they need help.”
He explained that the charity supports veterans with a “no wrong door” approach. “We deal with a whole range of issues – financial, mental health, housing. We work with many different organisations to help people however they need. We might get calls nightly sometimes, or a few times a month. When people are struggling at night – they can’t sleep, or their mental health is low – we’re there.”
One of the charity’s biggest current projects is the renovation of a house – made possible by a donation of more than £85,000 from BAE Systems – to be used as short-term accommodation for homeless veterans.
Paul said: “When a veteran walks in here and they are homeless, we put them up right at that moment. We pay for a hotel for them and make sure that they’re in temporary accommodation for a good period of time, and then move them on to permanent housing. This house means we’ll be able to house them straight away in a proper setting, without that extra cost. BAE bought the house as a gift to us and we’re doing it up – it’s a huge step forward.”
Julie said the Military Village would return at next year’s Blue Light Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9.
She added: “We wanted lots of charities there as part of one of the zones in our village, and because it was so successful, we’ve been asked to do it again. This was the first year of the Military Village, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response. It’ll be back – bigger and better – next year.”
From Hull 4 Heroes’ perspective, the donation – and the awareness – are both equally important. Despite appearances, the charity, like many, is constantly juggling funds to keep going. Paul, a builder by trade, said that they had fitted out their three stylish units in Princes Quay – where the charity has been based for two years – by themselves.
“We built this space – it’s a lovely space – and it means that veterans can drop in at any time, have a seat, and chat to whoever’s around, free of charge. We have about 68 volunteers and many of the people in our office are volunteers too. We always need funds.”
Paul added that the cancellation in July of the long-delayed veterans’ village project in Hull had been a huge blow, but the team remained focused on helping people here and now.
“Of course it was absolutely gutting,” he said. “But we’ve had to put that on a shelf and concentrate on what we can do right now – help veterans in crisis, today.”
Blue Light Weekend event co-director Andy Medcalf said: “We were amazed by the response to the Military Village this year, and Hull 4 Heroes was a huge part of that. Their stall was constantly busy, and it was clear how much their work resonated with our visitors. Supporting veterans is something that’s very close to our hearts, and we’re proud to play a small part in helping the charity continue what it does so well.”