NATIONAL broadcaster turned military historian, Peter Snow, is backing a campaign to use poetry as a way of helping veterans facing homelessness this winter.

The ‘Lights on’ campaign, which has also won support by poet, Simon Armitage, was launched by Riverside, a housing association for homeless veterans, after realising the power of poetry as a form of therapy.

Lenny Szrama, 48, from Catterick, is one of a number of veterans who claim writing was the catalyst for change. Mr Szrama, who joined the Army at 17, suffered a breakdown following the suicide of his room-mate and end of his marriage.

After finding himself homeless, he was referred to The Beacon, a housing support scheme next to Catterick Garrison where he re-discovered his passion for poetry and painting.

“It’s been useful as a therapy and still is,” he said. “Some of the guys who didn’t want to talk about trauma could paint things quite graphically. I had an exhibition, and wrote poetry about my experiences in the military and with mental health problems.”

Lesley Swales, a specialist support worker in education, training and employment at The Beacon, said many veterans are in a vulnerable state and find asking for help difficult to do.

“If you’re living on the streets, the main problem is housing, once that’s resolved, everything else that caused that situation churns up,” she said.

“The difficulty with PTSD is you don’t see it. Wounds heal, mental health doesn’t sometimes, and it can be learning how to manage it.”

Mr Szrama, whose work is featured in the ‘Recovery? From Flanders to Afghanistan’ exhibition at the Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds, said: “ I was stuck in a cycle. Being made homeless and living at the Beacon drew a line under it and made me stop and restart.”

Out of the 63 veterans Lesley has worked with in the past year, 77 per cent have gone into work. Those too poorly or with terminal conditions are still given training to improve their quality of life.

Riverside which runs the UK’s main housing advice and accommodation helpline for ex servicemen and women at risk of finding themselves on the streets has helped 13,000 people to date.

Any single veteran facing homelessness can call Riverside’s SPACES on 01748-833797