A project to help people with such serious mental health issues that they turn to drugs and alcohol, which was recently set up in the centre of Ross-on-Wye, is going in the right direction.

Founder, John Paul, is hopeful that this community project will eventually be able to take on the former home of the man of Ross, John Kyrle, more recently Colemans.

He told the Ross Gazette: “John Kyrle gave food and money away in the market place. I am trying to do a similar thing today.”

John added that he wonders if John Kyrle got the same response he has had from some people when he gave out bread to the poor. He said people do not want to see the homeless, or those with addictions in our town centre but at least this has got people talking to each other and this is the very beginning of the project. He said: “We want to bring more people with us. Providing a bacon sandwich and a hot drink is just the start of engaging with people who are on the edge of society.”

John Paul has a licence from Ross Town Council to supply breakfast on a couple of days a week. A spokesperson for the Council told the Gazette: “We have treated this the same way as any other enquiry from a charity interested in having a pitch and have received their completed application and insurance documents.”

Some residents have questioned whether providing food and drink in the picturesque setting of the Market House is appropriate for a tourist town.

One person who spoke to the Gazette and asked not to be named said: “I understand why he is doing this and, on one hand I think it is a great thing to do, I want to help other people who are down on their luck or having problems, but on the other hand I do not want to see scruffy people drinking from cans all day after they have been handed free food.”

Reverend Simon Tarlton, who visited the group recently, told the Ross Gazette: “As an individual, I am fully supportive of what John Paul wants to do. He is reaching out to people where they are, rather than where we want them to be. I understand there have been a lot of objections but this is an issue for Ross and we cannot ignore them.”See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.