Craig David makes social housing plea at former Southampton home
"It wasn't just a place to live - it was a space where I felt secure, supported and able to be myself," he said."The sense of community was so strong too - we looked out for each other and that made all the difference."
The Shelter film follows David meeting the family who now live in his former home, as well as speaking about his childhood and his early career.While living in the area, he came up with songs for his 2000 debut album, Born to Do It - which became the fastest-selling debut by a British male solo act at the time."Going back with Shelter to visit my old home, and still feeling that same energy, reminded me just how powerful the foundation of a stable, loving home can be."The garage singer said it was "heartbreaking to think so many children today don't have that same chance"."Every child deserves the security, support and sense of belonging I was lucky enough to grow up with - and that means investing in social housing," he added.
Mairi MacRae, director of campaigns and policy at Shelter, said the housing and homelessness charity was grateful to David for showing "how powerful and life-changing a social home can be - providing the solid foundation for a successful career and future".She said: "That's a world away from what growing numbers of homeless children are facing today - living in temporary accommodation where instability looms over them, never knowing if they'll be forced to move again, leaving their schools and communities behind."The charity is calling on the government to commit to investing in 90,000 social homes a year for the next 10 years in its June spending review.A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said the Government was "taking urgent action to fix the broken system we inherited".They said ministers are doing this "through our Plan for Change, injecting £2 billion to help deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, investing in homelessness services, and bringing forward overdue reforms to the Right to Buy scheme that will protect the stock of existing social housing".
You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Where is Heartbeat's Nick Berry and the rest of the cast now? From tragic deaths to co-star romance
Heartbeat was a staple of British television for nearly two decades. So what happened to the likes of Nick Berry, Tricia Penrose, and Mark Jordan after the North Yorkshire-based show ended? The beloved ITV series spanned 18 seasons, and despite ending in 2010, the long-standing police period drama Heartbeat is still a cornerstone of British television to this day. Airing for nearly two decades, the show spawned numerous spin-offs and one-off television specials, which is a true reflection of its popularity with viewers. Fans followed the lives of those who lived in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield during the 1960s and the well-respected local policemen and villagers as they grappled with crime, community tensions, and personal dramas. In the very beginning, we were met with the charming PC Nick Rowan, played by Nick Berry, who was attempting to adapt to his new rural lifestyle after moving from London and joining the Yorkshire force. With the show off air for more than 15 years now, we couldn't help but wonder what the actors of the much-loved programme are doing today. PC Nick Rowan Nick Berry portrayed the renowned London police constable who relocated to the fictional town of Aidensfield, North Yorkshire, to live a more peaceful life after fleeing bustling London. He moved to the village alongside his wife, Dr. Kate Rowan, and the pair very quickly became vital members of the town, helping to tackle crime and assisting with medical emergencies. Notably, Nick also performed the show's iconic theme tune, a cover of the Buddy Holly hit that shared its title with the show also helped to rocket his fame with the track reaching number two in the UK singles charts in 1992. In 1998, viewers were left gutted when his character was written out of the beloved programme. The policeman decided to flee for Canada to join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which formed the basis for the one-off special Heartbeat: Changing Places. He went on to further his acting career, taking on a vital role in the 1999 drama series Harbour Lights and starring in the 2001 crime drama In Deep. After In Deep finished in 2003, Nick announced he'd be taking a break from acting to focus on his family and other ventures, including his own production company. Prior to landing his role as Nick Berry on the popular ITV series, he'd actually played the part of Simon Wicks on BBC One's hit soap EastEnders. Despite taking a break from acting, he did go on to make a special appearance as his former character, Simon, in 2012, which was his last and final TV stint since being on screens from 1976. It is well documented that Nick married Rachel Robertson in 1994. The pair like to keep their private lives out of the spotlight. They share two sons and live in Epping, Essex. Gina Bellamy The landlady of the Aidensfield Arms, Gina Bellamy, was played by Tricia Penrose from 1993 until the ITV drama came to its end in 2010. Tricia played a vital role and was the show's longest-serving female cast member. Not only was Gina a popular fixture on the programme for 60s fashion and her incredible acting skills, but she also gave fans some amazing vocal performances during her long-standing career In 2002, Tricia followed the path of her co-star Nick Berry and tried her hand in the singing world. She placed second on the show A Song For Europe, the UK's competition to select their Eurovision entry. Despite her song DJ Romeo being a huge hit with fans and judges, she was pipped to first place by Jessica Garlick, who represented Great Britain that year in the Eurovision Song Contest. Her last notable acting role was in the popular legal drama Justice in 2011, but she has also appeared in series 11 of Celebrity Big Brother and ITV's Who's Doing the Dishes in 2014. Tricia also got engaged to her on-screen love interest, PC Phil Bellamy, and the twosome recently announced their engagement on social media. The actress shared: "My lovely Chris has proposed on our 7 year anniversary! Off to Tenerife now with my lovely fiancé to celebrate Mark Jordon." PC Phil Bellamy Mark Jordan played the charming, laid-back PC Phil Bellamy, who worked alongside Nick Berry and fell in love with Gina, not only on screen but also in real life. He joined the show for its first series in 1992 and remained in the cast for fifteen years. A one-off documentary commemorating his departure, Heartbeat – Farewell Phil, was broadcast on Christmas Day in 2007. After his departure, Mark took up roles in medical drama Casualty in 2009 and joined Hollyoaks in 2012. He also became a series regular in Emmerdale in 2017, taking the role of Staff Sergeant Daz Spencer. In his spare time, Mark is devoted to his charity work for Usher syndrome and often uses his social media pages to raise awareness, in the hope of finding a cure Alf Ventress William Simons landed the accolade for the longest-standing member of the Heartbeat tribe, delighting viewers with his portrayal of the retired policeman for a complete 18-season journey. Before his role on the ITV drama, William appeared in the police drama Cribb in 1979 and the detective series The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries in 1990. His acting contributions also included various cameo appearances on programmes such as Coronation Street, The Darling Buds of May, Casualty, and Enemy at the Door. In 2019, it was announced that William had tragically died at the age of 79 of "natural causes" with his management agency paying tribute. They said: "He was a wonderful, kind, warm, witty, lovely human being and anyone who ever worked with him or knew him will be devastated." Claude Jeremiah Greengrass Every Heartbeat fan had a love-hate relationship with the charming scoundrel Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, played by the talented Bill Maynard. He joined the programme from its very inception and remained a valued part of the cast until 2000, when his character returned for the Royal spin-off series in 2002. Before his days on Heartbeat, Bill had already been somewhat of a TV legend as an actor and comedian and having starred in Great Scott – It's Maynard! the 50s with Terry Scott, and featured in five pictures from the Carry On comedy series. In 2018, we saw Bill in his last TV appearance, taking part in the Celebrity Pointless, before his tragic death in the same year. Bill's last TV appearance was on an episode of Celebrity Pointless in 2018, before he suffered a tragic fall, breaking his hip, and later sadly died that same year in hospital. Dr. Kate Rowan Niamh Cusack played the lovable Dr. Kate Rowan, the village doctor and first wife of heartthrob Nick Berry. But after three years on the show, she fell pregnant and decided to leave the ITV drama to focus on becoming a new mum. In real life, Niamh was born into a family with deep roots within the performing arts industry and is affiliated to the Royal Shakespeare Company, she played Desdemona in Othello and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet during the 80s. She also landed the role of Lady Macbeth in 2018 alongside Christopher Eccleston in Macbeth. She has recently appeared in We Live in Time, last year, 2024, alongside Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, as well as the dark comedy series Big Mood, also in 2024.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
'I'm convinced Queen Camilla played key role in my knighthood after unexpected question'
Awarded a knighthood earlier this year, Sir Gary Oldman joins a long line of British actors to have accomplished the stunning achievement, but he thinks that the Queen might have had a key part to play Just months after receiving his knighthood in June 2025, acting legend Sir Gary Oldman has revealed that he is convinced that Queen Camilla had a part to play in the decision that saw him receive the prestigious title. For years, Sir Gary has lit up our screens with Oscar winning performances for the likes of his portrayal of Sir Winston Churchill in the historical drama Darkest Hour in 2017, but he believes it was actually one of his more recent performances that secured his knighthood, after a surprising remark from Queen Camilla. In a recent comment to the Daily Mail, Sir Gary reflected on his tremendous achievement, admitting that it was possibly thanks to the intervention of King Charles ' wife that he was knighted earlier this year. Revealing that the Royal had waxed lyrical about his portrayal of Jackson Lamb in the Apple TV drama Slow Horses, she then stopped him to ask: "Are there any more?", with Sir Gary adding that he believes the King and Queen are fans of the show. According to the Government's website, there are three stages to the complete before someone can receive an honour. The first stage of the process sees names drawn up by the Honours Committee, who are also tasked with deciding the honours each individuals should receive, the next phase sees that list handed over to the current Prime Minister for approval. Once those stages have been completed, it is then the King who awards the honour. This year saw a number of new inductees into the honours list, with the likes of The Who frontman Sir Roger Daltrey, and former Manchester United footballer Sir David Beckham receiving knighthoods. Meanwhile, they were joined by Evita and Cats star Dame Elaine Paige, author Dame Pat Barker and former Conservative MP Dame Penny Mordaunt. Away from recently being awarded a knighthood, Sir Gary has long since been considered one of the finest actors of his generation. He initially shot to fame when he played Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious in the 1986 biopic Sid and Nancy, which dramatised the couple's controversial time together. Since then, the 67-year-old has cemented his position as one of the most respected British actors with roles in a number of popular films including in JFK (1991), where he played Lee Harvey Oswald in the dramatisation of the former US president's assassination. He has also gone on to appear in various other roles, most notably, playing Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
When is Love Is Blind UK season 2 part 2 out on Netflix and how many episodes are there?
Love Is Blind UK is making a comeback with real-life couple Emma and Matt Willis returning to host the Netflix dating show. Love Is Blind UK season two once again sees singletons from across the country get ready to enter the pods in a bid to meet 'The One' without seeing them first. From a professional dancer and a dating app founder to a gaming entrepreneur, a nanny and a cafe owner, singles from a range of backgrounds have come together for this next series of Netflix 's Love Is Blind UK. Hosts Emma and Matt Willis return to oversee the proceedings as the 30 singles enter the pods to find a connection and get engaged, all before seeing one another for the first time. But when they do lay eyes on one another, will it be instant sparks or will it be the start of an upward battle before deciding whether to say 'I do'. When is Love Is Blind UK season 2 part 2 out? Love Is Blind UK season two premieres on Wednesday, August 13, with the first four episodes released for subscribers to enjoy. Thankfully, the wait isn't too long before the hit dating show returns for its next batch of episodes. Love Is Blind UK season two part two will be released the following week on Wednesday, August 20, on Netflix. These episodes are expected to follow what happens after everyone meets in the pods and the couples get to know each other in the real world. Love Is Blind UK season 2 episode count Love Is Blind UK season two is going to consist of 10 episodes in total, making it slightly shorter than last year's 12-episode run. The remaining two episodes are going to be dropped on Netflix, the next week on Wednesday, August 27. Speaking about the new series, Emma told Metro: 'Last year, we were quite nervous. 'This year, we were much more relaxed. ''We really wanted the UK one to be as good as all of the others and I think it surpassed our expectations, because it had everything. 'It had heart, it had a very British sense of humour.' She then added: 'The one thing I've taken [from hosting the show] – and it's not so much a reflection on our relationship, but a reflection on the world of dating generally – is, I'm really glad I'm not single.'
