A RECOVERING alcoholic has won an award for his work to help fellow former homeless people.

Dennis Rogers, aged 50, won a Local Hero prize at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch awards for setting up a support club for former homeless people with drug and alcohol problems.

Mr Rogers, who lives in Bromley, established The Saturday Club five years ago after turning his life around following nine years sleeping rough and more than 20 years addicted to alcohol.

After being stabbed in a random attack in Penge in 2002, for which nobody was ever caught, Mr Rogers spent one and a half months in hospital.

He said: “My key worker from Thames Reach, a charity for homeless people in London, found out when I was going to get discharged and booked me into a rehab centre and I beat my alcohol problem.”

After overcoming his addiction and moving into his own flat, Mr Rogers decided to help homeless people turn their life around in the same way, and came up with the idea for The Saturday Club.

Meeting in Lambeth every Saturday, the club has around 20 members who get together for activities and to support each other in the battle to beat addiction.

Mr Rogers says he will use the £3,000 prize money for the award, which recognises community heroes in London, to keep The Saturday Club going.

He said: “We’ll buy equipment, arrange days out and keep providing somewhere people can keep busy and drink and drug free, meet new friends and learn from their peers. ”

For more information on the club, call Thames Reach on 020 7702 4260