"I was successful growing up, I had houses and mortgages and I had a child bereavement and it was hard to overcome that so I stopped chasing the money, stopped chasing the dream and took time out in life."
When Damian "Damo" Haslam, 47, from Cardigan lost his loved one and struggled with depression, he stopped working as a furniture designer and became homeless. Living in his hometown of Burnley, Lancashire, at the time, he isolated himself and refused help.
"I never asked for benefits in those years, I'd refuse them. I just refused help, it's the way my mum brought me up," he said. After years of homelessness, Damo moved to Cardigan with his partner Jill Garner, 48, who runs the Finch Square Café. This year, Damo wanted to help residents in his new Welsh home and decided to put on a free Christmas dinner. You can get more local news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
