Prince William, visited The Beacon Project in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on Wednesday where he met service-users in a day full of acitivities as they give support to the homeless and vulnerable.
It is at the center he met, Ex-serviceman Delroy Carr-a 58 year old who had his right leg amputated above the knee after the frequent use of drugs 11 years ago.He didn’t hesitate to mention how he caused another center user to lose his prosthetic limb, leaving William in bouts of laughter
“His [Delroy’s] leg from the hospital rubbed and he was getting really bad sores, so I said I’d take it home, put the angle grinder on it and run it down a little bit for you. I’ve gone to work, because I worked as a binman, and I’ve come back and I’ve gone [to his partner] ‘Babe, where’s Delly’s leg gone?’ She went ‘That horrible thing you left in the garage? – it freaked me out, it’s horrible’. I said, ‘well where is it?’, and she went ‘Dustbin men took it – your mates came round earlier’. And I went ‘oh my God’, I’ve lost Delly’s false leg.” He added: “He’s never had one since – nine years. He’s been hopping mad for nine years.”
The Royal then offered to personally ensure that his details reached the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) for ex-service personnel- where he visited earlier this month at Stanford Hall in Loughborough in the company of his father,Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge.
William said: “I’ll get them the details about your leg, and make sure we pass that on.”- William assured Mr. Carr as patron of Centrepoint and The Passage.
Mr Carr also told how having been homeless for two years, he was now clean and had got into some assisted accommodation at Christmas – through The Beacon Project. After meeting the Prince, Mr Carr, who uses crutches, said: “He’s a good man. He seems very genuine and really wants to help.”
The Beacon Project began in 2001 in St. Johns Church, Mansfield when five homeless people came into the church for tea and toast. They now have a dedicated building and serve and care for up to fifty people on a regular basis, providing a welcoming and safe place where those in need can get a hot meal, clean clothes and access to bathroom facilities. They also have access to medical care and drop-in sessions once a week, and to support and help in finding accommodation.
