A
couple of months ago, I had the good fortune to be commissioned by the Victoria
Business Improvement District’s magazine “inSW1” to interview Hugh Milroy,
Chief Executive of the charity Veteran’s Aid.
The
magazine is now out, and so I have taken the liberty of publishing my version
of the article here. Beware... this is a lengthy article.
Dr
Hugh Milroy leans back in his chair and fixes his gaze upon me from the other
side of the desk. His is an intense stare that accompanies a relaxed manner and
a ready smile. This is not, I find myself thinking, quite what I had expected.
A
former Wing Commander in the RAF, recipient of an OBE and holder of a PhD, what
I had expected was that the CEO of Veterans Aid would be altogether more
formidable and imposing.
The
room itself also belies many of the usual preconceptions you might have of a
CEO’s office. Boxes are stacked from floor to ceiling against one wall, full of
clothes and other essentials. Another wall is dominated by a painting of a WWII
Spitfire. There’s a meeting table, which I’m later told is second hand.
Elsewhere there are collection tins inserted into old boots, a portrait of the
Queen, and artwork produced by some of the veterans the charity has helped. But
more on that later.
 |
| Dr Hugh Milroy, CEO of Veterans Aid |
What
wasn’t in evidence in his office was any trace of standing on ceremony, of
self-importance or of lavish expense. It is a businesslike office with enough
personality about it to feel genuine, without being over-bearing.
Little
did I know at that precise moment, I had entered a world where so many of my preconceptions
would lead me to nothing but a slight feeling of confusion.
Affable
and amiable he may be, but Milroy is clearly a driven man, a man with a clear
sense of purpose and deep understanding of the people Veterans Aid supports.
And it is in regard to these people that I soon begin to realise that much of
what I had considered to be received wisdom was actually nothing but
misleading.
Veterans
Aid works with former service personnel who, in civilian life, have hit upon
hard times for one reason or another. A veteran is classified as anyone who is ex–Army,
Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, or from the Merchant Services. It
also covers the Reservists and in fact just one day's service qualifies any of
the above to be considered veterans. The charity sees itself as very much part
of the Victoria scene and has been for much of the 80 years it has been in
existence.
Myth
busting
Anyone
paying even scant attention to the media will have read or heard that a
disproportionate number of rough sleepers in the capital are veterans and that
they all have drink and drug problems.
This
is perhaps the first myth that needs dealing with, and it’s one that Milroy
dispels with the relaxed sense of focus he displays throughout our time
together.
“We
see veterans who are in crisis,” Milroy explains. “Real crisis – homelessness
is only one aspect of that.”
Yet
for all the truth of that statement, it remains inescapably true that when it
comes to actually getting someone off the streets, Veterans Aid is remarkably
efficient and effective. The charity provides in excess of 20,000 nights of
accommodation every year, and can house between 60 and 80 people per night; in
addition to its Buckingham Palace Road HQ, Veterans Aid has its own hostel in
east London.
“You
could look upon Veterans Aid as the accident and emergency service for the
veteran community,” Milroy tells me.
“If
someone needs accommodation we’ll find them somewhere, whether it’s in our
hostel or in a hotel. If they need detox we’ll get them on a detox programme.
If they need clothes, a suit for a job interview perhaps, we’ll do that. We try
to be as pragmatic as possible in the way we handle things.”
There
are no hand outs. But there is a helping hand up to those who need it and, just
as importantly, are willing work hard to make the most of the help available.
I
ask Milroy if this pragmatism is because the organisation, and the majority of
the people working there are ex-military – do people with a military background
have a particular approach to fixing things and making progress because of
having served in the armed forces?
“There
may be something in that, perhaps we are quite straight in our approach to
things. But I think it’s important to point out that people don’t come to us
because they’ve been institutionalised by the time they spent in the armed
forces. If we were dealing with problems caused by institutionalisation, then
it would seem strange that we rarely see people who have served for a long
time.”
Common
ground, common language
Milroy
talks to me at length about the need to help people rediscover their
resilience, something he describes as running like a thread through all service
personnel. He refuses my suggestion that surely those who have served in the
armed forces are predisposed toward eschewing hand outs and favouring an
opportunity to stand on their own two feet, whereas – I suggest – run-of-the-mill
civilians are that bit softer, lack that resilience, and will gladly take the
hand out.
He
is quick to correct me in a firm yet non-chiding manner that sits well with his
overall demeanour of a man who is thoroughly relaxed and at home with himself,
yet uncompromisingly focussed and alert. “The ‘service’ part is a very good way
of getting to ground zero, where we can all talk the same language,” he tells
me. “Beyond that it’s down to the individual.”
Finding
a common language is clearly an important aspect of helping someone in need
start to find their self respect once again. After all, few of us flourish as a
result of being patronised and talked down to. Veterans Aid works to sow the
seeds of a physical support network of friends and acquaintances in the lives
of those it helps, addressing one of the most pernicious demons many of its
clients are facing – social isolation. The downward spiral of drink and drug
addictions, much like the burdens of growing mountains of debt, will ultimately
push people away from their friends and family until, all too often, they have
no one to turn to, no one to talk to.
The
typical user of Veterans Aid’s services is male and aged somewhere between 38
and 45. It is generally the case that they joined up at an early age and served
for around three years. Like many people they encounter difficulties in later
life and some simply struggle to overcome these difficulties.
The
younger veterans, in their 20s, encounter the same barriers to social housing
that face anyone else of their age in the UK.
Far
and wide
Last
year, Veterans Aid received around 2,000 calls for help, it put 216 people into
accommodation. But it also works hard through a network across the country to
identify those needing support before they arrive in London – Victoria coach
station being one of the key magnets.
Milroy
talks of people graduating from the Veterans Aid service, and how they must be
ready and capable individuals that can sustain themselves once they’ve received
the helping hand up. Otherwise, he cautions, it’s a waste of both time and
money.
“We
see people from all branches of the services and all ranks. But very few are in
trouble because of their military service. They’re here because of life in
Britain today – which can be difficult for anyone.
“In
fact, it is extremely rare (Milroy places a great deal of emphasis on the words
extremely rare) for Veterans Aid to see somebody with PTSD. What we see is
people with complex problems. Addictions, alcohol abuse, debt, general mental
health issues – just like one-in-four of the general population might also
suffer at some point,” he says, referring to a statistic often quoted by the
NHS and mental health charities such as MIND.
Not
just art for art’s sake
It’s
not all detox and emergency housing though. There are examples of veterans
going on training courses that will enable them to get regular, well-paid jobs.
Some have gone to university, and in December Veterans Aid will be hosting an
exhibition at the SW1 Gallery of works of art created by some of the people it
has helped.
Veterans
Aid is an integral part of the Victoria community and this year is its 80th
anniversary. Clearly held in high regard, it was the recipient of Victoria
BID’s jubilee fund raising lunch in May and has received the support of the
Lord Mayor of Westminster. It is involved in training officers from the
Metropolitan Police on how to identify and help veterans in need of support. It
seeks to stem the flow of homeless people arriving in SW1. It rolls up its
sleeves and finds practical, sustainable solutions to the problems facing many
people who at some point in their past have served Queen and country.
I
reflect on what I’ve learned as I leave Milroy’s office, and upon the
ordinariness of it all – the lack of pretention, the absence of affectation.
On
my walk up the two flights of stairs earlier that morning I had met two
Veterans Aid staff who had once been on the receiving end of the charity’s
help, and a third man who was clearly there in need of said help.
It
is someone’s birthday at Veterans Aid, and as I leave I hear an office full of
people singing “happy birthday” to their colleague, as happens in pretty much
any and every office all across the country.
You can find out more about Veterans Aid by visiting their website here.
Portrait of Dr Hugh Milroy is copyright Glyn Strong/Veterans Aid
