‘Secret millionaire’ David Pearl steps in to save shelter for homeless

Published: 30 July, 2010
by PETER GRUNER

A FLAMBOYANT property millionaire from Angel has stepped in to save a desperately needed night shelter for the homeless following a last-minute approach by the Tribune.

Developer David Pearl, 62, star of Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire, had originally been unable to support the charity, Shelter from the Storm, which provides beds for up to 40 people who have lost homes in the recession.

The hostel in Canonbury is due to close its doors in just two weeks time.

But following a phone call from the Tribune on Tuesday Mr Pearl said he might be able to offer the charity short-term rent-free premises in Angel, providing there is no major opposition from neighbours.

Mr Pearl, who lives in Highgate, is chief executive of Structadene, with an office at White Lion Street. The firm were behind the controversial £70million bid for 222 council-owned properties three years ago.

He has already been providing the hostel with rent-free accommodation for the past two years at a former council-owned workshop in Elmore Street.

But that property has now been sold by Mr Pearl to other developers who plan to turn it into luxury flats. Shelter from the Storm must vacate the building by August 16.

Mr Pearl said: “The hostel do wonderful work and I fully support the charity. But I have been warning them over the past months that the property that they currently occupy was being sold.

“They’ve had a two-year run, which isn’t bad, and I offered to help with the rent if they could find somewhere else. We have to be commercial and the building they occupy is worth money.

“However, I have another building in Angel which might be suitable.

“But I’m worried about the barrage of complaints by local residents. Whatever you do you get it in the neck.”

Mr Pearl added that he couldn’t understand why Islington Council could not provide alternative hostel accommodation. 

“The charity is providing an invaluable service to the borough and its homeless,” Mr Pearl said. “The council has plenty of empty property. Why can’t they use some of it?”

Despite his trademark “scruffy” appearance – Mr Pearl cycles everywhere – he is said to be worth £233m and is 241st in the Sunday Times Rich List.

He is also famous for his charity work, which included appearing on TV show Secret Millionaire in 2007 as a hospital volunteer before donating thousands of pounds to the carers.

Shelter from the Storm manager Louie Salvoni, 57, a part-time businessman in the coffee industry, said he is pleased that Mr Pearl was now offering to help the charity. 

“We had approached him several times after the sale of the building but he said there was nothing he could do,” said Mr Salvoni.

“We don’t think there will be a problem with the neighbours. When we first moved into Elmore Street the neighbours were quite sceptical. But once they realised that the hostel is well ordered they became very supportive. Many of them now work at the shelter as volunteers. And local residents even started a petition when they heard we were closing down.

“Rather than encourage bad behaviour our presence in the street actually put a stop to it.”

Mr Salvoni is proud of the charity’s record. It receives no council or government funding and has raised £80,000 to cover running costs through business and charity events. It provides 1,200 beds a year, looking after an average of 40 people a night six nights a week. More than 30 per cent are eventually helped back to work and into mainstream accommodation.

Homeless guests currently age from 19 to 63, and 22 per cent are women. They include a number who have lost jobs, fallen behind with the mortgage or had homes repossessed.

Among those who sought refuge from the streets recently were a young professional youth worker, a foreign charity aid worker and a former waitress.

Mr Salvoni added: “We appreciate Mr Pearl’s past generosity. But it should be remembered that while we are able to use his properties rent free he receives 80 per cent rate relief because we are a charity. We also secure the properties against squatters.”

The council’s executive member for regeneration, Labour councillor Paul Convery, said his department was also looking for a possible new home for the hostel. “They do excellent work and we want to help them,” said Mr Convery said. “We are looking for alternative accommodation. But unfortunately a lot of our empty property was sold off to Mr Pearl by the previous Lib Dem administration. If anyone should be helping them at this time it should be Mr Pearl.”

• To contact Shelter from the Storm call Louie on 0797 0848 457 or email him at louie@expressoservice.co.uk