A LANDSCAPE gardener who came to the aid of a neighbour whose bizarre habits led to his home becoming completely filled with rubbish has sold his business to become a full-time counsellor for hoarders.
Despite having no experience or training, Andy Honey, from Westcott, has helped Richard Wallace – the subject of Channel Four TV show Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder – remove more than 15 tonnes of newspapers, food packaging and other junk from his Furlong Road home over recent months.
The teetering piles of material, collected over more than 30 years, reached ceilings throughout the house, meaning the 62-year-old had to move around through a network of claustrophobic channels dubbed "death tunnels" by Mr Honey.
Thousands of other items which filled the garden, including 18 rusting cars, created an eyesore which caused clashes with neighbours.
Channel Four has made two programmes about Mr Wallace, bringing him worldwide attention.
After stepping in to help Mr Wallace during filming last year, Mr Honey has taken such satisfaction from working with him and other hoarders throughout the South East he is now a full-time counsellor specialising in the field.
The 40-year-old father-of-two told the Advertiser: "My first job was at Windsor Safari Park and I ran my own air freight and gardening companies, but this is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.
"It's a great feeling to leave someone in a better position.
"There are no qualifications you can take in this field but I believe listening to people is the best training.
"I am getting some intense on-the-job experience with the professionals who run hoarder support groups and I am going to get some general mental health training."
In addition to his one-to-one work, Mr Honey is setting up two new monthly groups along with clinical psychologist Sophie Holmes – one for hoarders and another for their friends and families. He said these are "ready to go" as soon as he decides on a venue in the Dorking area.
Mr Honey said: "We are looking at a few possible locations and hope to start in January.
"Leatherhead Clubhouse is the favourite, although we are also looking at Clarendon House in Dorking and St John's Chapel in Westcott.
"We need to get the word out about this as there is a real shortage of these groups.
"I've had people from as far away as Leeds saying they are interested in coming along." The lengthy rubbish-clearance process taking place in Westcott, which involves assessing items in a marquee before they are recycled or taken to the tip, has resulted in Mr Honey and Mr Wallace becoming close friends – to the extent that Mr Wallace has just celebrated Christmas with the Honey family. Mr Wallace said: "Andy initiated all this along with my clinical psychologist Sophie and it has helped me make slow but sure progress. "My personal circumstances are much improved. I'm happier than I was and certainly getting towards 'happy' although I'm not quite there yet." While much of his house is now 'normal', enabling him to bathe and cook unhindered, Mr Wallace said many rooms were still 'not negotiable' and would remain storage areas. He added: "I realise that certain things are not worth retaining and have been able to let them go through categorising things a bit more finely. "I still want to keep some things though, like copies of newspapers I appear in."
Anyone interested in attending either of the support groups, which will be open to all, should call Mr Honey on 07837 303711.
