A former Norwich security guard left the doors behind to pursue a passion for writing and now he plans to use his skills to send help to Ukraine.
With a legacy of aid under his belt, Robin Barratt refused to sit and watch the current war unfold without doing anything to help.
The 59-year-old first delivered aid in the Bosnian war.
He said: “As a child I always wanted to help people, I don’t know why it was just always something that was compelling to me.
“I delivered aid in Bosnia and I’ve experienced the queues of refugees and seen towns ripped out with bombs and bullet holes.”
“We rescued children who were under continuous bombardment, we delivered to hospitals that no one else would deliver to.
“That’s really why I want to do something now, I feel I have a connection and a deep understanding of what is currently happening in Ukraine.”
Robin stayed and helped for a year, until he could no longer watch these people suffer so much.
Upon his return Robin became a doorman in Norwich – here he kept the nightclubs safe.
But in 2004 Robin decided to leave this behind to follow his dreams of becoming a writer.
He wrote ‘Doing the Doors’ which was about being a bouncer and it quickly became a bestseller.
In 2014, Robin turned his skills to poetry.
He said: “I always liked poetry, the concise and precise way of telling people what you are thinking in a way that is completely subjective was always fascinating to me.
Through his years of writing and publishing poetry Robin decided he could bring together a large collection of poets who could all share their views on the war to let people know that they stand with them.
“It’s hard to do something on your own, if you do something with people it becomes something that is tangible.” Robin said.
Robin has got people from all walks of life to put pen to paper – resulting in 254 poets work from 53 countries writing in solidarity.
Robin hopes that somewhere in Norwich will stock his book to show their support.
All proceeds will go to the Ukraine Relief Fund and it can be purchased here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here