'"The one who bears the torch sees all and with knowledge, comes power."'
***
Eccentric police officer, Lee Jackson lives an unassuming, yet fulfilling life with his girlfriend, Sabrina.
Until everything changes one winter morning.
Finding hims...
"Homelessness is an epidemic, and we will fight to cure our streets of this malaise for the greater good of British society."
So pledged the Prime Minister at the start of her reign, yet the general feeling was that nothing would change. Such is the modern sentiment towards almost any politician.
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Rough sleeper trudges through a city.
However, nobody could have predicted what would spring up, as if by magic, to offer a solution to this deep-rooted 21st century problem.
"Truly, I act with only the best intentions." Chuckled Priya Dhaneshwari, CEO of The Torchbearers
"The politicians have their wars to fight and their elections to win; leave them to it." She seemed relaxed, one leg hooked on top of the other, and gesticulated as she spoke.
"We are the ones that must pull ourselves from the mire, and I mean to start with those who have lost their way under bus shelters and store entrances, et cetera."
A steadfast reply from the woman those on social media have begun referring to as 'The Dhan'. Small in stature, big in reputation it seemed.
The Torchbearers are a new homeless charity that has risen meteorically, through a savvy social media campaign, quirky advertisements and the charm of The Torchbearer herself in a series of public demonstrations that garnered huge amounts of attention.
But why are The Torchbearers so different to any other charity? The answer is simplicity itself.
Practical solutions to a complex problem have already led to great improvements in cities across the north such as Manchester, Leeds and Hull.
1-to-1 guidance on culture, job seeking and social success from charity workers that comes with a free bed and three meals a day, all provided by the organisation.
Now that is an offer that a homeless person can't refuse.
Brushing off any compliment I had for The Dhan with supreme modesty, she left me with one final message that she considered the most important aspect of her groundbreaking work.
"Love. Love is the key and love is the answer. It is the one thing that can bind humanity; in my opinion, it is the route to success."
Then she leaned forward, trading the serene demeanour she had carried throughout the interview for a piercing gaze that was unwavering.
"Miss Interviewer, love is quite frankly the only reason that I do what I do, and why I have done it for so long now. Love is the foundation upon which the future must rest if we are to solve all of the problems we face as a species."
She paused, taking a breath.
"With love on your side, you can achieve anything".
Iron words of hope from a true modern stateswoman that almost had me out of my seat in raucous applause.
I settled for the string of goosebumps that erupted along the back of my neck as her words resonated with me.
In such dark times, perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps we can move ever closer to this light by following the example of The Dhan. Perhaps it's someone such as The Dhan herself at the end of this metaphorical tunnel, wielding a blazing torch that lights the way for all of us.
Want to know more? Want to get involved? For more information about The Torchbearers,
email: thetorchbearers@gmail.com
call: 030 5308 4620
or visit The Torchbearer Association flagship office: Central Leeds
