Pen to Property – Helping a Homeless Veteran Get a Home

Hi everyone, I’m Rick Gannon and I’ve just launched one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever taken on: I am trading a pen, and then trading up, all the way to a property to house a homeless veteran.

In less than two weeks the challenge has already reached a trade value of around £1,500 and it’s growing every day. A lot of people have messaged asking if they can make a cash donation instead of trading, so here it is. Every penny donated goes directly toward helping a veteran in need.

At the end of this incentive the property will be given and transferred to a charity that houses Veterans.

Why this matters:

• Around 0.3% of UK veterans report being homeless, rough sleeping or living in a refuge – that’s roughly one in every 400 veterans.

• Veterans are over-represented in rough sleeping figures, with about 6% of the “single homeless” population having served in the armed forces.

• Between 2018–19 and 2023–24, the number of veteran households identified as homeless in England rose by nearly 25%.

It’s not a small issue. It’s a growing crisis, and the people who served deserve better than ending up without a roof over their heads.

What your donation does:

• Helps accelerate each trade so I can climb the ladder faster.

• Covers the practical costs involved in securing and renovating the final property.

• Supports the goal of giving a veteran real stability and a place they can call home.

If you can donate, amazing. If you can’t, absolutely fine — even sharing this page helps push the mission forward.

Thank you for the support. Let’s get a veteran a home.

— Rick