'Homeless' Wellingborough army veteran back in warm with daughter thanks to armed forces charity

He survived the Gulf War, served in Iraq and served Queen and country for 25 years, but a former Wellingborough soldier needed a charity’s help to adjust to life on civvy street.

Dean Knowles experienced hardship and mental ill-health after leaving the Army and only turned his life around thanks to SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

After his full service with the Royal Anglian Regiment, during which he was deployed across the world, returning to life in Wellingborough left him unsettled and nearly homeless.

He said: “While I was in the Army everything was okay. It was a great life and I enjoyed it. But once I left I felt a bit lost. I bounced from job to job, not really settling.”

During this period, Dean’s marriage failed.

He said: “My little girl, Eva, has Down’s syndrome and needs a lot of specialist care. She’s also had two major heart operations. There was no way I was going to make my ex-wife move out of our house with Eva. This saw the beginning of my kind-of homelessness. I lived in a caravan for a few years and stayed with friends. Even though I lived in a caravan, Eva still came to stay, but I felt like I was a let down. I wanted a secure home for her and for her to be able to enjoy her stay with me.

“I’ve lost a number of friends recently. Some through health issues, but others through suicide. I myself was close at one point, but it was down to my disabled little girl and the help of SSAFA that gave me that help back on my feet.”

Dean was referred to SSAFA by Combat Stress. SSAFA allocated Dean a caseworker, Gayle Bee, who guided Dean through the process of securing housing, and then helped find funding for a deposit and furniture.

Now Dean has found a job he enjoys, working on an Armed Forces Covenant scheme with Barratt Homes, and is studying for an NVQ4. He can have Eva to visit him in his own home and life is looking better.

Dean said: “I want other people out there to know that there is help. And if it wasn’t for people like Gayle, then I think my story would have been very different.”

What is SSAFA and how can you get help?

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is a source of practical, emotional, and financial support for serving personnel, veterans and their families in their time of need.

In 2021 our trained teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 66,000 people, from Second World War veterans to those who have served in more recent conflicts, or currently serving – both regulars and reserves – and their families.

The SSAFA family includes the Military Wives Choirs, both an independent charity and a subsidiary of SSAFA, which supports women across the military community.

For more information go to the charity’s website at Ssafa.org.uk.