A 39-year-old former soldier who lost an arm and both his legs in a bomb blast has been out feeding the homeless with Salford community group the Joint Veteran Alliance.
Lamin Manneh was born on the west coast of Gambia but moved to the UK in 2005.
He found fame after the screening of October BBC’s DIY SOS Homes for Veterans project.
Volunteer teams led by TV presenter Nick Knowles transformed a derelict street in Newton Heath into homes for wounded ex-soldiers.
HRH The Duke of Cambridge Prince William and HRH Prince Henry visited the extensive two-week build and Lamin, a father of five, was one of the first to move his family into the disability-adapted home in Manchester.
© BBC/Youtube
Triple amputee Lamin was injured in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, while serving with the Irish Guards.
Since his injury he has competed in rowing, archery, shot put and discus at the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style tournament for disabled servicemen and women.
He found out about Clifton-based Joint Veteran Alliance by visiting Salford Armed Forces Veterans Network at their weekly breakfast club.
“When I met the guys they told me about what they do and I jumped at the chance,” said Lamin.
“Some people have got so much and others so little, it’s really about compassion.
“You can’t put a price on what they do – doing things like this for the good of humanity, there’s no better thing in the world.”
Lamin has since become an ambassador for Salford Armed Forces Veterans Network, which launched in 2015.
Graham Walker, representing the group, told SalfordOnline.com: “Salford is lucky enough to have two breakfast clubs where former forces personnel can meet each Saturday morning for a breakfast and a chat.
“Several hundred Salford veterans have been through their doors and where necessary have received assistance on a variety of issues.
“We met Lamin and his family earlier on this year and were overwhelmed when he brought back two bronze medals from the Invictus Games.
“It’s been a pleasure to welcome Lamin to our meetings, he is an inspiration for all of us.”
Salford’s response to the cold is to give more to the homeless
The Joint Veteran Alliance was founded by SalfordOnline.com Community Photographer Dawne Sheldrick-Keating and ex-military partner Dave Minshull.
They collect donations of food and clothing from across the city and hand them out to homeless ex-servicemen in Manchester and Salford.
“People should do this as a kind of National Service, life would be so much better,” said Lamin.
“This is the real world.
“It’s not about having thousands in the bank while your neighbour can’t scrape together a pound to get something to eat.
“I feel very deeply that if you’ve got the time, ability and opportunity to help people, you should.”
Find out more about Joint Veteran Alliance here, and join Salford Armed Forces Veterans Network on Facebook.
