A former soldier says he is now rebuilding his life through the help of a local not for profit having previously had "no support" after returning to civilian life.

Dan Vaughan, who served in Iraq with The Queen's Royal Hussars working as a tank crew man, said he left the forces with no knowledge of normal adult life.

"I joined when I was 16," he said.

"After seven years I knew that was it. I was struggling with my mental health.

"I basically had nothing (in support) – you just go back into normal society."

The 36-year-old said he did an apprenticeship and then a university degree before struggling to find a job and getting by doing odd-jobs.

"When I was in the army your food is paid, your accommodation is paid for, you get your money every month," he said.

"You come out and no one says 'if you buy a house or you rent a house you pay council tax'.

"I didn't know I could get benefits. I wasn't aware of the financial system, how things work".

After becoming a dad he said he later went through alcohol and substance abuse.

Veteran Housing Group's Chad Maskell, chief executive, and Greg Ford, director of housing, outside the Chelmsley Wood property (image via LDRS)

"The army drinking culture had a knock on effect, going out drinking for days, blacking out," Mr Vaughan said.

"Drugs got introduced, cocaine.

"It leads to high anxiety, losing friends, lack of sleep."

Mr Vaughan, who is originally from Coventry, said since 2022 he has been sofa surfing.

"I slept in my vehicle quite a lot," he said.

"Then in August I tried to kill myself. I rang 111 and that was one of the best decisions I ever made.

"I got mental health support and therapy."

Mr Vaughan was then put in touch with Veteran Housing Group, a not for profit group which supports veterans returning to civilian life.

The team creates HMO accommodation for veterans to live at while they receive training, enabling them to then move into employment.

Last month Mr Vaughan moved into the first six person accommodation Veteran Housing Group has opened in Solihull.

The Chelmsley Wood home had sat empty for two years before the charity transformed it.

"I moved in, in November," Mr Vaughan said.

"It's nice to have your own space. It is a really great place to launch myself from.

"I want to go into a driving job (in the future), I love being on the open road."

A room with en-suite for veterans at the Chelmsley Wood property (image via LDRS)

Veteran Housing Group is run by chief executive Chad Maskell a veteran who also experienced a period of homelessness.

The team is currently working to set up further accommodation in Windward Way and Hilleys Croft.

Mr Maskell said the local community had fully got behind the project and they also had the support of Solihull West and Shirley MP Neil Shastri-Hurst MP who is also a veteran.

"You have so many separate entities with social housing," Mr Maskell said.

"We said (to the council) 'you don't have to worry about anything veteran related now.

"We will mobilise in your area, all the pathways come to us."

And he said the aim was now to take the model national following its success.

Greg Ford, the director of housing at Veterans Housing Group, added: "We selected Solihull mainly because they were one of the first local authorities where their armed forces champion fell in love with the project.

"They were really engaging from the first moment we said what we wanted to deliver.

"This is the highest quality HMO – I think that's why Solihull Council has got behind it."

The pair said they would welcome support from the community, including donations, and can be contacted through the website veteranhousinggroup.com.