Wigan veteran pens a touching ode to thanks his helpers

Ronnie Biggins, who is from Platt Bridge, wrote the touching rhyming ode to EDs Homes, which supports former servicemen and women who have been on the front line for the country.

Ronnie, who served in the Grenadier Guards between 1999 and 2005, has been battling alcohol and drug addiction in recent times and also has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but was motivated during his struggle to put pen to paper about the organisation helping him.

He wrote the poem several months ago but took it into EDs’ headquarters on Library Street after recently coming across it once again.

Ronnie, 37, said: “I went through a hard time a few months ago so I started writing poems.

“I just found this one down the back of the couch together with another one about my son. I was just moving the cushions and saw it there.

“I thought I’d bring it into EDs to show people.

“EDs has done a lot for me. I attend the Football For Forces five-a-side, which gets me out and about. Usually I just lock myself away in my room and get quite depressed but the lads pick me up.

“They’ve also helped me with abstinence from the beer and drugs.”

In the poem Ronnie describes EDs as “the best” and “where all veterans can meet” as well as “a place to feel free”.

He describes how former military personnel can solve their problems there and how EDs works to get ex-forces members off the streets and receiving help for their addiction issues.

The poem concludes by saying how, thanks to EDs, veterans do not need to face their problems alone, even though pride means that difficult road is a temptation for many.

Ronnie then describes the organisation and its service users as both a “family” and a “band of brothers”.

Ronnie says he is now on a much better path thanks to the involvement of EDs.

He said: “I’m trying to sort my life out and I’m doing quite well at this moment in time.

“I’m quite dependent on other people to get me here and there and make sure I’m not secluded, so I’d like to reduce that.

“This place has definitely brought out the best in me.”

Ronnie says he also intends to keep writing and, having seen his work about EDs, the organisation’s director Jason Lloyd has given him a folder to keep his literary efforts in.

Mr Lloyd said: “We didn’t ask Ronnie to do this, he did it off his own back.

“We just thought it was a really nice gesture and really nice words.”