HOW A LIVERPOOL VETERANS ORGANISATION SAVED MY LIFE!

After a harrowing life of addiction and trauma that led to a breakdown and ultimately a suicide attempt, Richard Hall was finally saved thanks to a veterans organisation in Liverpool. The Block CIC, based in Walton, intervened after Richard appeared at a local hospital with zip ties around his neck and thanks to their help he is now turning his life around.
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

The Block is a grassroots CIC that bridges the gap and offers veterans support, emergency accommodation, coffee mornings, drop ins, signposting, workshops, courses, retreats and more. Since forming in November 2020, they have helped countless veterans — with Richard being one of their most profound success stories.
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

Richard’s story begins in Wigan — raised on a rough estate by his heroin addict parents. Childhood was very traumatic indeed, including regular violence that resulted in his mother dying when he was 6 years old. Following this tragic start to life, he entered the care system — only to be subject to bullying and mental, physical and sexual abuse.
By the age of 12, Richard had developed a life of crime and taking drink and drugs. One of his brothers joined the army and one committed suicide, whereas Richard remained in Wigan — going down a very dark and dangerous path of crime, drink and drugs.
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

Richard said: “People talk about having difficult upbringings but mine was as difficult as they come. I don’t remember a lot as I have blanked a lot of it out, but it was horrific. Looking back, I clearly took drink and drugs to escape and this remained a theme for most of my life until recently.”
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

Richard followed his older brother and joined the army but this turned out to be a traumatic experience also, as he was based at the infamous Deepcut Barracks — where many soldiers suffered from mental health issues and some died in shocking circumstances. He inevitably left — before he lost his mind or took his own life.
After leaving the army, Richard delved deep back into a life of drink and drugs before it all finally became to a head and he found himself on a motorway bridge. Fortunately, two policeman managed to pull him to safety and he spent two months in a secure unit.
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

Richard said: “By that time I had met a partner and had two children but I was living a lie — I was drinking and taking drugs daily, even during my driving job. I was just constantly searching for an escape. It all became too much and that’s what led me to that bridge — I will forever be grateful to those policemen who saved me that day.”
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

After splitting from his partner, Richard moved to Preston to live with his father — who had just been released from a very long stretch in prison. One day, when Richard returned home from work, he found his father hanging in the garage but managed to resuscitate him and get him to hospital — saving his life despite the horrific upbringing he had subjected him to.
Life after this consisted of drink, drugs, another failed relationship and another child and eventually, in 2022, hitting rock bottom again and losing his driving job. Living in his van, he became desperate and after being failed by veterans organisations he reached out to, he ended up having a breakdown and was found in the A&E unit of a local hospital with a zip tie around his neck.
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

Richard said: “My life was an endless cycle of self destruction and trauma — leading to states of crisis. After that last incident in July 2022, NHS Op Courage referred me to The Block in Liverpool and it’s the best thing that’s happened to me in my life! I will forever be indebted to Colin and the team.”
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

The Block’s Colin Eastaway, a Special Forces veteran who runs The Block alongside Peter McCombe and a team of volunteers, provided Richard with accommodation, food, electricity, a phone, support and signposting. Ran by veterans for veterans, The Block offered Richard a safe haven surrounded by people who understood and cared.
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

Despite this new lease of life and securing a new job, Richard soon turned to drink and drugs again — hiding it from Colin and the team until an incident made it impossible to. Whilst drinking at a woman’s house, he attempted to prevent her from being assaulted by a man there — resulting in him being bottled and hospitalised for three weeks. It was at this point he knew he needed additional support.
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

He said: “The Block gave me a fresh start but the drink and drugs still had the better of me. That incident at Christmas was a blessing in disguise, as Colin referred me to Tom Harrison House on 31st January, where I’ve just completed my 12 week programme. I’ve been clean for months now and I’m in the best place I’ve ever been in my life.”
He continued: “I’m lucky to still be here and it’s thanks to Colin, The Block and Tom Harrison House that I still am. I have turned my life around massively and the 12 week programme at Tom Harrison House has helped me address deep rooted issues and completely reprogramme my beliefs, thoughts and triggers. It’s been a hard process and it’s ongoing but I finally feel free to be the best version of me I can be.”
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

Richard is now planning to do mentoring and counselling courses so that he can help others, as well as volunteering at The Block to help fellow veterans. Feeling ‘born again’, he is now engaging in things such as cycling, hiking and fishing as opposed to drink, drugs and self-sabotage.
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!

The Block CIC is a veterans organisation that bridges the gap by offering veterans support, emergency accommodation, coffee mornings, drop ins, signposting, workshops, courses, retreats and more. The organisation is based in Walton and thus far has survived purely on funds from its Directors and donations from the public — with official funding going to other local veteran organisations instead.
The Block CIC / 241-243 Walton Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, L4 4AR / 0151 281 4837
For more info about The Block visit their WEBSITE!
Check out The Block on FACEBOOK!
To donate to The Block CIC and help their cause check out their GOFUNDME!