I am so proud to support the work of Hammersley Homes.  I first met Louise by chance on a zoom, not long after I lost one of my dear friends.  I was immediately taken with the goals of the charity – to provide support to those with severe mental illness who are so poorly supported by the structures we have in place in England.  Her goal of setting up supported ongoing community support and housing really resonated with me.  If only my friend had access to these types of services, then he might still be with us.

My friend Dan had long term mental health issues and trying to deal with this and a number of other illnesses he fell down the rabbit hole of addiction.  It’s a vicious cycle, you need help but the help is limited because of addiction, it is not viewed as a health issue, and because the help and support is not available, the use of substances is used as a way of coping with life that then effectively rewires the brain.

Dan was a vivacious and kind soul.  He was a super talented writer and cinematographer.  He not only made short films that have been shown in cinema’s (I got to be an extra!) he also produced the most hilarious short documentaries about his life and travels.  If he decided to do something, it got done.  His health deteriorated as his addiction took hold, he ended up having severe psychotic episodes.  I will never forget going to see him before I went on holiday and he was mid episode believing he was the messiah sent to save earth.  The flash of Monty Python whizzing round your head doesn’t seem quite so funny when someone is front of you is so poorly.  You feel helpless.  In the end Dan couldn’t cope with life once the pandemic hit, and he died in August 2020.

I know what those gaps look like in services, I know how hard the police, who invariably ended up supporting Dan, worked – and they and we knew they weren’t the right service.  So, hearing Louise talk about the goals for Hammersley Homes immediately struck a chord.  It is my small way of making sure Dan’s death isn’t in vain.  If the money we raise supports just one person who is in a similar position to Dan, then it will be worth it.

When you make an appointment using this link, not only will you be giving yourself peace of mind that your will and power of attorney are in place – you’ll also be supporting an amazing charity.  10% of the fee you pay will go to Hammersley Homes, I would also encourage you to consider making a charitable donation to them in your will and by doing so you may reduce your inheritance tax bill.