The Llanelli Charity feeding the homeless

We have all seen the press releases from councils and Welsh Government talking about funding for warm hubs. Even the town library was pictured with a table, a kettle and some cups ready and waiting for the cold and the lonely to appear. It remains to be seen whether the numbers expected actually do turn up and make use of these funded facilities.

Meanwhile in one of the poorest wards in the county, Tyisha and the Station Road area a charity is handing out free hot food to large numbers of people as well as offering help and advice and a comfortable warm place to stay for a while. Add to that helping to get the homeless off the street and you have Chooselife in Llanelli.

The man behind it all is Alan Andrews. He is a Marmite figure. He has drawn bad press and despite being at the coalface battling against the constant influx of drugs to the town he does not attract the same handsome funding as some.

Alan says he is looking into the warm hub funding, which if he gets it would be utilised fully and reach the people who need it. Alan says that the problem is that the people holding the purse strings and making decisions about how to deal with the drugs problem in the town have not had the same experience that he has. He says that in order to address the issue you have to bring in those people who work with the issues every day of the year.

Alan has been involved in this work ever since he transformed his life from a drug addict to running what is now quite a large operation just off Station Road.

As I approached the building two men were waiting at a hatch to receive a meal of Burger beans and chips. Inside there was comfy furniture, a pool table and a fully operational kitchen where volunteers were busily preparing the hot food.

There are also plans to offer Christmas Dinners free of charge to anyone who wants one It is a partnership with another local fundraiser Claire Doyle. Anyone wanting a dinner delivered between 12 and 3 should email cldoyle@hotmail.co.uk or call 07388530328

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/clare-collins

We caught up with Chooselife’s Alan Andrews and service users Simon and Arthur who were there to pick up a hot meal. You can listen to the interviews here: