Name and town supplied but withheld:

I was happy to see a letter from Jane Goddard (CP, 02-03-18), voicing some of my concerns about the article on Kevin Newton (CP, 23-02-18).

As a former Bus Shelter volunteer, I read the article about Kevin Newton with horror. I worked with Kevin and saw firsthand his genuine and 100 per cent commitment to the Bus Shelter and the homeless.

Kevin came across as a completely honest and genuine man, and shared with us volunteers his heartbreaking personal experiences that drove him to help others.

He did work at least 100 hour weeks at the bus, and was there all the time when I was working, and I worked at least three shifts per week.

We went mousey quiet when Kevin dozed off, as he rarely slept. He usually had to stay on the bus ay night due to the rule of two male volunteers needing to be there at night, so he barely saw his family in the early days.

During a volunteer meeting with Kevin, he told us the council had effectively told him he should have a salary out of the money being given for the bus.

I believe, no matter what the circumstances behind that, Kevin was genuinely following what he had been told. A man wouldn’t spend such time and effort on a cause just to con people.

And even if Kevin made a mistake, I cannot believe he was being deliberately dishonest.

The article didn’t print Kevin’s side of things, it wasn’t balanced, and I can imagine the impact of it for his family, who live locally. It must have been and must still be, devastating.

Kevin’s commitment and dedication to the bus saw it created, launched, running, and enabling a number of homeless people to be housed. It was a visionary idea and I was happy to be a volunteer.

It is a great shame that since Kevin left, the bus hasn’t been running. I would be interested to know what is happening with the bus, as it is unclear either why it remains out of service, or how to contact the new manager.

I feel the article was insensitive and made a lot of assumptions of guilt against Kevin without either any convictions of balance. I feel it was a poor thank you to a visionary survivor who wanted to make life better for others due to his experiences.

Editor’s footnote: Our story contained a lot of information from Kevin Newton.