Paul Gwilym nearly ended his life nine years ago but has turned things around and now supports others finding things bleak
WITH a huge grin on his face, his standout blue gilet and a bacon sandwich in his hand, he sat down opposite me and started speaking about his life experiences. He didn’t stop for over half an hour, after which I was speechless.
Nine years ago, Paul was living in an industrial unit with his dog, Gizmo, after his landlord decided to sell the property he was renting. The unit was cold and damp, with only a sofa, a mattress and a bucket of water to wash his clothes.
“I was an emotional wreck and I was in pain, I was hurting and realised I was on my own. I had downwards days where I just couldn’t be bothered.
I wanted the pain to stop and I wanted it all to end.
“I felt like a failure. I felt like I let my family down, let my friends down and let myself down. Ultimately as a man I failed at life, to the extent that I wanted the pain to stop and I wanted it all to end, I thought that was the way out to be honest.”
On a cold wet night in February, Paul got in his van and drove to the Severn Bridge, ready to end his life. That was until a lorry beeped at him and Gizmo barked, at which point Paul asked himself: “What the hell am I doing?”
He drove home to his parents and told them everything, how he was living in a unit as he couldn’t afford a new place. He hid his situation from everyone for three months.
But Paul began to realise that he was one of the lucky ones. He still had his job as a wedding and events planner and there were people on the streets who were surviving from meal to meal, who had nowhere to go and shop doorways for bedrooms.
“After a few beers with my mates, I thought there’s got to be something we can do,” and Boomerang was born.
Boomerang is a charity that started its journey in 2016 as a homeless organisation, helping people who live on the streets. Paul was driving around Cardiff in his van looking for donated items and giving them to those in need.
By October the same year, he was picking up the keys for a new industrial unit in Templar Parc, which would be the home of Boomerang.
“My goal for 2016 was to help 100 working people that were struggling. In 57 days, we helped 673 people, it was just nuts. The fact that we now had our own unit was incredible.”
Five years on, Boomerang have helped 17,500 families across Cardiff who are in poverty, suffer from loneliness or are down on their luck, as well as the homeless.
Households threatened with homelessness in Cardiff have increased by 103% since April 2015. A staggering 49% of single-parent households find themselves without basic essentials such as washing machines or microwaves. These are the people Paul wants to help most through his charity.
Boomerang provides a basic package to those in need, which includes a bed, a sofa, a kettle, a toaster, a microwave and crockery. They also run an affordable furniture sale, where people can come to the unit for cheap furniture for their homes.
From 2016 to 2020, Paul and his team have given out over 2,750 hygiene starter packs, over 5,000 sanitary products and have indirectly helped over 50,000 individuals.
“This is my purpose in life. Everything I do is for the good of the charity. I’m a do-er, my work doesn’t finish when the clock strikes five. So many families need help and sometimes I’m here for 15, maybe 20 hours a day working.
“I don’t care for money; it’s about waking up and having a purpose. I was paying out of my own pocket for vans to get furniture. I don’t want anyone going through what I went through.”
Boomerang now has nine staff employed, all of whom have suffered from homelessness or rough sleeping. Dave Summers, 33, is the operations manager at Boomerang. He was homeless for seven years before Paul helped him.
I attribute everything to Paul, he played an integral role in helping me.
— Dave Summers, Boomerang operations manager
Dave started volunteering with Paul at Boomerang in 2016, it was his escape from the hostel he didn’t want to go back to. He struggled with his mental health, but Paul’s positivity helped him.
“His infectious positivity really did rub off on me, I’m a lot more optimistic about my own future.”
Rhodri Jones is Boomerang’s warehouse manager, but for 11 years he was sleeping in Next’s shop entrance. Who knows what his fate would’ve been if he stayed on the streets?
“Paul gave me the opportunity to be a part of Boomerang, helping with everything from clothes sorting to deliveries, I felt I had a purpose again,” said Rhodri.
“I can’t do what I do without the amazing team around me.”
Without the help of staff and volunteers, Paul doesn’t think Boomerang would be able to operate.
“I can’t do what I do without the amazing team around me. If I didn’t have the team, Boomerang wouldn’t exist. I’ve worked in many places and not once have I had the team I’ve had now. I’m a lucky, blessed guy and I’ll never take for granted what I’ve got.”
Christmas is always a busy time for Paul. For the last 13 years, even before the creation of Boomerang, Paul would help the homeless on Christmas Day: “I’d get up at 5.30am and finish 5pm in the evening, visiting families asking for donations and then buying food and giving it to the homeless or hostels.”
Paul and his team have distributed over 15,000 Christmas presents since 2016 and this year he’s hoping more children can get gifts.
“I’m hoping for 2,000 to 3,000 kids getting gifts off us, around 1,500 families. But more importantly, 300 single dads will have gifts off us to give to their kids.”
In 2018, Paul was in Boomerang’s warehouse until 9pm distributing presents to the queues of people outside. He says seeing the smiles of those he helps puts him on top of the world: “I don’t do this as a reward for myself. When I watch people smiling this is all worth it, no money in the world can give me that feeling.”
From a jump away from suicide to helping 50,000 people, Paul Gwilym has turned his life around and does everything he can to prevent people from ending up in the same situation.
As I leave Boomerang’s warehouse, struggling to comprehend what I’ve heard, Paul gives me some simple advice:
“No-one can help everyone but everyone can help someone.”
