AN INSPIRATIONAL volunteer whose alcohol battle once left him homeless and sleeping rough has been nominated as a community champion.

Robert Whaley’s life spiralled out of control after personal losses in his life led him turn to the bottle.

The 55-year-old was an alcoholic for almost 30 years but he bravely turned his life around and is now helping others.

Robert is a founder member of Grasp (Greenock Recovery Alcohol Support Project), the only group of its kind in Inverclyde.

He said: “It feels good to help other people – I get a wee boost about it. 

“I can’t make them sober, I can only give them advice. Alcoholism is an illness, people who don’t have a drink problem don’t realise what alcoholics are going through. I lost everything and I didn’t realise for years that my family went through hell because of my alcoholism. They suffered more than I did.”

Robert said that losing his parents was a catalyst in his drinking and he would down super lager or even a litre bottle of vodka a day.

He said: “I lost quite a lot of my life through alcohol. I was in hospital for a week and I didn’t even know I was there.”

Robert went through rehab at the former Salvation Army unit in Terrace Road in Greenock and although he suffered a few relapses he has since been sober for 11 years.

He is now happily settled with his partner in Port Glasgow and through her has two lovely grandchildren.

Robert said: “I have a family life now that I never had before.”

Robert helped GRASP find premises at Crown Care Centre in King Street.

He and the group have been nominated for our awards by community worker Alan Deans.

Alan said: “There is no other drug and alcohol support project like GRASP and no volunteer like Robert Whaley in Inverclyde. 

“GRASP and Robert really provide personal experience to assist the local community and people who struggle with the battles of drug and alcohol abuse.

“Robert provides support 24 hour a day, turns people’s lives around and reduces costs to services like NHS and social care.

“He faced a 10-year period of homelessness coupled with alcohol abuse and uses his own experience to reach out to people.”

There is still time for Tele readers to put forward their own local heroes – log on to www.newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/greenockcommchamp/ before the April 24 deadline.