Burghead man wants to help the homeless
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A FORMER RAF mechanic who spent time in the Royal Hotel after becoming homeless wants to help others in the same situation.
Robert Law wants to set up eco-friendly wooden housing, similar to glamping pods, to help people get back on their feet.
Mr Law has started ABI Rentable Residences to provide the support and has received advice from co-founder of Edinburgh-based organisation Social Bite, Alice Thompson.
Social Bite, the homeless charity which organises Sleep in the Park every year, already have a 'village' of accommodation for the homeless in the captial.
Mr Law, who is studying HNC at Moray College, is now trying to raise funds and support from local businesses.
The 38-year-old, who is originally from Tomintoul, said his inspiration came from the Cass Community Project in Detroit, US, which utilises tiny independent living facilities.
He said: "It is a fantastic idea, and I thought, how could I bring that to Moray? Months down the line someone mentioned Social Bite were doing something like it in Edinburgh.
"I don't want to have a mirror image of Social Bite, but something similar.
"In Edinburgh, Glasgow and in Aberdeen you see the homeless on the streets, you don't really see it in Moray but it is still an issue."
The project will allow participants somewhere to stay and volunteer as part of the accommodation.
It is set for people who are homeless, often through no fault of their own. Mr Law became homeless after the breakdown of his relationship.
The father-of-three, who now lives in Burghead, said: "I lived in the the Royal Hotel, Forres for eight weeks but I was in the Air Force for nine years, so I was used to communal living in the barracks.
"Rentable Residences started out as a passing thought and then a passion because I could relate through personal experience.
"As a qualified mechanic I was used to stripping things down to the bare nuts and bolts. This is literally for people to get out the rut and build themselves back-up. If they don't have a job, they can work on the site and learn skills with training courses tod leave with a reference."
Mr Law is crowdfunding the project which he hopes to base between Forres and Elgin.
To donate go to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/abi-rentable-residences?utm_id=119&fbclid=IwAR31glmIVKh3SvSHXW54sJW1TsXRBokMikr2NBLt6T0urtKiX_m9AwFErOc.
