The homeless man walking up to a marathon a day to tend south east London gardens
A young man based in Swanley walks up to 26 miles a day across south east London and Kent with a trolley of tools, determined to rebuild his life through gardening and landscaping.
Ten months ago, 23-year-old Dylan Bravery says his life was turned upside down when he fractured his neck in a motorbike crash.
The injury, he said, cost him his job, his ability to drive, and eventually his home.
At the time, Dylan said he was living out of a camper van and working shifts in a café while trying to get back on his feet and continue.
He had no job security or sick pay, and after the crash, he found himself physically unable to continue.
Dylan told the News Shopper: 'I was struggling with my neck and couldn't do the shifts.
"There was no sick pay, no cover, so we agreed I'd leave. After that, everything just slowly fell apart.'
He moved to Kent, where he said he spent periods sleeping in a tent and then in a car with support from his partner.
Although Dylan said he has mostly been living in the car and occasionally staying in other temporary accommodation, he makes a point of looking after himself.
At one point, he said he was applying for dozens of jobs a day.
Instead, he decided to start his own gardening business - Wild Roots Gardening.
It began with nothing more than a few tools, a borrowed trolley and a lot of walking.
Dylan explained: 'I can average around 20 miles a day. If I've got a full day, I'm doing about 26 miles all round.'
'I do go on trains now and again. I take my whole trolley with all my tools in it.
'The trains have been very understanding with me. However, the buses have not been so understanding — refused every given point.'
'I do go on trains now and again. I take my whole trolley with all my tools in it. (Image: Dylan Bravery)
Dylan said even when he offered to pay extra, he was still denied access to the bus with his equipment.
Despite the challenges, he said he enjoys being outside and is passionate about his work.
He said he built the business job by job, mostly through word of mouth and by advertising locally.
He said: 'I had three gardens in the first month. Then six the next. Now I've got around 30 regulars.'
Wild Roots Gardening is also built around a commitment to eco-friendly methods.
READ MORE:
Dylan said: 'I don't use weedkiller or chemical treatments.
"I wouldn't want children playing in a garden that had been sprayed with that stuff. Even when they say it's safe for kids or pets, a lot of the time it really isn't.'
He credits his partner for standing by him during some of the most difficult months.
Dylan said: 'She helped me pay for some of the tools and even let me sleep in her car when I had nowhere else to go. I wouldn't have managed this without her.'
Through social media, Dylan started sharing updates under the name Homeless Hope, which he said gave people insight into his situation and helped drum up support for the business.
Dylan said: 'I wasn't asking for money. I just wanted people to see what I was doing—trying to get back on my feet. Since then, my client list has grown a lot. I've even got a waiting list.'
Recently, Dylan has been offered full-time with a local gardening firm, which he said gives him the chance to develop his skills and earn a steady income as he continues working towards stable housing.
He still runs Wild Roots Gardening in the evenings and at weekends, offering eco-friendly services to his regular clients across south-east London.
Despite his success, still dealing with the long-term effects of the injury. Dylan said: 'My neck's not right. I've had to go back to A&E a few times. but I carry on. I've got to. This business is what keeps me going.'
He said he is now saving to rent with his partner and hopes they'll be able to afford a deposit before winter, when gardening work typically slows down.
He is also hoping to buy an e-bike and build a custom trailer to carry tools in order to reduce the need to walk such long distances each day.
When asked what advice he would give to others facing similar difficulties, Dylan said: 'You're not alone. The world can be brutal, but if you're still here, still breathing, then there's still a chance.
'Just keep going. Even if it's slow -even if it's the long way round—you'll get there.'
Dylan Bravery's GoFundMe page can be found by searching Wild Roots Gardening online.
His gardening services are available in the Swanley, Sidcup, Bexleyheath and Orpington areas, depending on availability.
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