IT IS said that we are only three pay checks away from being homeless. No one knows this fact better that Charlie Wood.

After being in a high-powered job at technology giants IBM for four years, a series of events led to a downward spiral for Mr Wood, which saw him end up sleeping on the streets.

The 55-year-old went from being in a £80,000-a-year job with a house to living on the streets with nothing and drinking heavily.

However, after going through one of the darkest times of his life, Mr Wood is putting the ‘horrible experience’ to good use and aims to support those who are in a similar position as he once was.

As part of Basingstoke’s Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) Mr Wood has been enlisted as an ‘Expert by Experience’, to help support rough sleepers in the borough.

He said: “The message I want to get across is that this can happen to anyone. There is a stigma to the stereotypical homeless person, but for me that doesn’t exist.

“When I was sleeping rough I lost everything, I am diagnosed with bi-polar so have massive highs and terrible lows. So when I was on a high I thought I was king of the streets, but there was a point where I was so low I tried to take my own life.

“After living through that experience, I want to make sure the correct support is in place for those people who need it.”

As previously reported in The Gazette, the SIP has relaunched its Real Change, Not Loose change campaign to help raise awareness of homelessness in the borough and how people can support efforts to reduce it.

In his role as an Expert by Experience, Mr Wood hopes to advise the different partners on how best to support homeless people in the borough and by talking to rough sleepers open up a dialogue.

Mr Wood added: “Basingstoke and Deane really is doing something special.

“What I want to do in my role is point out those people who are considered real homeless compared to those who are street attached and just begging.

“Also if I can speak to someone and say to them ‘I have been where you are’ they might be able to see there is a way to get off the streets.”

This year the Real Change campaign aims to raise £16,180, which will be distributed between churches who run the Night Light winter shelter, the Camrose Centre and Julian House storage solutions.

To support the campaign and donate visit spacehive.com/real-change-basingstoke-2017, and for more visit basingstoke.gov.uk.