Homeless Paul from Temple Station is back on his feet thanks to crowd funding

If you’ve been feeling an absence on the Strand campus over the past few weeks, it’s probably because you’re no longer being greeted by the uplifting messages of Paul Redford at Temple Station.

Thanks to a crowd funding page, Paul, who has been homeless and living on the streets for the last 13 months, is now back on his feet.

The crowd funding project began with a series of aims, but quickly took off, thanks to generous donors.

The most pressing need for Paul was to raise £500 for a deposit for a room in a shared London house, yet within 58 days the target of £2,500 had been met.

This will cover the cost of four months rent, whilst Paul saves money in his new job in furniture restoration.

As his daughter Chloe has just given birth to a baby boy named Leo, Paul will also be able to give his grandson a Christmas present.

Paul was a favourite amongst several King’s students, with fresher English student, Annabel, recalling: “He would always be doing crosswords, and his signs always brightened my day.”

While first year Biochemistry student, Katie, expressed her relief of his safety at Christmas time: “I’m really happy to know that Paul is back with his family, it would be nice to think that a lot of the donations were from people from King’s.”

Pauls’s story has had a happy ending, but also highlights the plight of so many homeless figures around London and the King’s campuses.

The outcome is proof of how the generosity of a community can help an individual get back on their feet.

Despite no longer being able to read Paul’s optimistic messages on our way to a lecture, the knowledge that he is living a normal functioning life again can give us a reason to smile. It certainly puts finals in perspective.