Hi, my name is Kim.  What have I got to show for my life?  Three children I hardly see – nowhere to live – Oh, I wonder sometimes what is the bloody point of it all.  Should I give up or just stay for the long run?  It’s not easy when you suffer with depression to know what’s best to do or where to go.

I came to Shelter from the Storm just over a month ago. The reason I was sent here was because of domestic violence with my boyfriend, now ex-partner.  He put his hands round my throat, caused a big row and told me to get out of his flat.  That was on a Tuesday afternoon; I slept rough at London bridge for the night – feeling scared, unsure what to do and nervous.

In the morning, I went to a homeless place called the Manna Centre, had something to eat and spoke to an advisor.  She phoned round a couple of places and I was told to be at SFTS at 6 o’clock.  They gave me great advice on what I had to do, I’ve met a lot of great people and I should be moving into my own place soon.  If it wasn’t for the staff and people that volunteer here, I would still be on the streets.

Thank you everyone at Shelter from the Storm

I’m from Tottenham, St Annes Road and I was born in the North Middx Hospital. My dad was American and my mum from Jamaica. My dad was a GI and mum came here in the late 50’s. When I was 9 they split up. When dad left I really missed him and I became uncontrollable. I started hanging out with much older men and they used me to break in to shops and schools to steal. I was caught and put in a children’s home, Northolt Place – I was assessed there and they did a case conference on me. The Judge said there was no reason I shouldn’t go back home, but mum said no – she didn’t want me.

They sent me to Sir Thomas Moore Community School in West Sussex. It was run by the Christian Brothers and it was a pretty violent, abusive environment – we got hit a lot! When I was 11, I went to my first foster family in Crawley. They were lovely people but I kept running away to mum and she kept sending me back. After that I was fostered twice more, always lovely people but I always ran back home and my mum always returned me.

I left Thomas Moore at 17 and ended up in Margaret Thatcher’s ‘Short Sharp Shock Treatment’ – DC in Ashford. I was still getting in to lots of trouble and after DC, I ended up in Borstal. After Borstal I started stealing cars – Cortina’s, Corsairs, Capris, Grenadas – all nice cars. I got knicked and sent to prison.

At 22 I was released from prison and met a lovely girl at a party. We were together 28 years and have 2 beautiful daughters. I was still mixed up with gangs but I also did some legitimate work – mechanic, security, scaffolding. While I was living this gang life I got shot 5 times.  I also got knifed very badly. I’ve got a big scar on my back. They cut me with a dirty Stanley knife.  It got infected and I had to have a big operation.

I was about 35 and after the stabbing, I went to the US to look for my father, my aunt had kept in touch. I rang him and said I needed his help – had a lot of questions to ask. We were driving over Brooklyn Bridge and he opened up to me. He said he’d heard that I was in trouble and he’d come back to the UK to look for me but my mum had prevented him from contacting me. He even tried to apply through the courts but she stopped him. It meant a lot to me to know that he’d tried to find me.  Later, my son went to live with him in the States.

When I got another stabbing there was a rumour I was dead and my sister phoned my dad to tell him.  It seems the shock gave him a massive heart attack and he died in front of my son. My son hasn’t forgiven me or spoken to me since – he’s still in the States

It was difficult to escape from this sort of gang life. At the time I didn’t want for anything and life was good until I tried to leave – I wanted to see my kids grow up.  I’d seen 12 friends die and I just wanted out – a lot of funerals and no weddings. That’s when the trouble started. I was about 49 and I told them I didn’t want to be in it no more. I got my head chopped! I had to leave my family because I was frightened for their safety. I moved into my aunt’s house in Tottenham.  I’m at home at my Aunt’s when 2 gang members visit me – a guy and a girl. They ask me to do something I didn’t want to do – I said I couldn’t help them. The girl asked for the toilet and while I was showing her, the guy put 6 armour plated bullets under my bed.  45 minutes after they left the police arrived and I was arrested for possession of ammunition. They smashed up my aunt’s flat looking for the gun. I pleaded guilty and got 2 years in Pentonville.  On release I had nowhere to go, I couldn’t go back to my aunt’s and although my mum is still alive, I haven’t spoken to her for years. I knew a guy who worked in a Gym so I’d sneak in there just before they closed and leave when they opened up in the morning.  The agencies that were supposed to be supporting me when I left prison didn’t really do anything – luckily I got a referral to Shelter from the Storm. My years of violent, gang life has taken it’s toll – I’ve been told I’ve got PTSD – to be honest, I was only a child when I started. I’m getting my life back together and what I’d really like is for one day to be able to mentor and help other kids escape the sort of life I’ve lived.

Eventually I’d love to get a place for me and Sarah to start afresh. I’d like a completely empty shell – just a small flat and we’d finish it – make it ours. Start from scratch – a mattress, a chair, find some speakers – the first tune we’d play would probably be Herbie Hancock, maybe Chick Corea – and go from there.

I was born in Clapton in 1962, I’m 52 and I’ve lived in Stoke Newington most of my life. My mum still lives there, she’s 85 and she’s got vascular dementia – she’s ok but she gets pretty fed up with the carers. I went to Upton Park Boys School in Clapton. I was happy at school – I liked anything technical or mechanical and I wanted to be an engineer. I was in the Air Cadets and I thought about signing up for the Air Force. I got an apprenticeship at Allied Foundries in Dalston as a tool and pattern maker but I didn’t finish it because I lost my log book.

I got jobs temping in warehouses and factories – worked at Maynard’s Wine Gums for a bit.  I was a little bit naughty when I was a teenager – got mixed up with some wrong people. I got nicked for stealing a car radio – got a fine and had to go some place every Saturday for a couple of months and I think we had to run around a playground or something. But…it put paid to my Air Force hopes. I had to see a probation officer and one of their ‘partners’ offered me a job doing graffiti, where they also gave me a video camera which really fascinated me. I started a short course at South Thames College – I loved it. I started applying for jobs working with video and got a job with a hire company. I got to take equipment to TV companies and exhibitions. I did that for a couple of years till I was made redundant. Luckily in those days, I could always get work temping.

I volunteered at the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield where I helped with the editing.  I applied to study editing but sadly didn’t get in – my life would’ve been very different if I had. At the time, it was a bit of a blow.

I met someone who was making a documentary about black coal miners and I ended up being the editor on it as well as being production manager.  It was called Skin and Coal – it was sold to Channel 4 and I was proud. I thought it was an excellent little film. During the editing, my dad died and that derailed me a bit.  He had a bit of life insurance and I got about £10,000 – I lived off that for a couple of years and then just lived and worked.

Sarah is a brilliant artist and I met her in 2014 through friends. She was homeless, so she came to live with me and my mum.  She has mental health issues and eventually got a hostel place with St Mungo’s. They mucked her about a bit, first they said she’d be there 18 months, then they said they’d be closing down in 6 months. This upset her, she likes things to be as she’s been told they’ll be. The accommodation they offered her was pretty poor – just small rooms with a loo and shower in them. One place we looked at, someone offered to sell us drugs.  She didn’t like any of them and in the end, St Mungo’s kicked her out and she came back to live with me and mum.

It was the last West Ham game at Upton Park and there’s this fence you can climb along to sneak in. Sarah was a bit drunk and slipped and cut her hands badly.  We watched a bit of the match, but had to get the first aiders to bandage her up. One day mum’s carers came and mum was hiding, she used to do that, but they thought it was something to do with Sarah and her bandages. A week later I got a call from my sisters to say we had a week to clear out – they thought mum was frightened of Sarah, but she wasn’t, Mum and Sarah got on well. We were up all that night, walking till morning, then Sarah went to her hospital appointment and I went to work as a Postman.  I’d been working full time as a Postman since 2008.

Sarah had a 2-man tent and we pitched it on Stoke Newington Common. We’d put it up quite late, about 10ish and have it all wrapped up by 5.30am.  We cleared all the rubbish so no one would know we’d been there and hide the tent in the bushes. I’d go off to work and Sarah would go to a day centre. It was quite cosy in the tent – we’d get picnics from the supermarket, maybe some beers for Sarah but not usually for me.  We did this for about 6months – we had 5 tents in all – they kept getting nicked. We camped in Wanstead Flats and the park rangers pinched our tent but mostly we camped in Stoke Newington so I could pop back to mum’s for some bits. Sundays we’d go to the Rochester Castle for breakfast. Sarah liked the Eggs Royale which is poached eggs, smoked salmon and rocket – I’d have the Full English with extra eggs. We’d have endless coffee refills, charge our phones and use the bathrooms – once Sarah dyed her hair in the loos. Occasionally we’d stay in a B&B for a bit, maybe a Travel Lodge which was a bit of luxury.

It was getting cold and it was tiring. Even if we found a cheap hotel, it was hard work.  I was in Catch 22 – couldn’t save for a deposit because it was costing so much for B&Bs. Xmas 2016 we stayed in a Travel Lodge and hired some Boris Bikes but Sarah fell off and broke her ankle. The pain was so bad that she had to go into hospital to have it operated on.

Finally, Sarah got a hostel place because of her mental health.  For the first couple of weeks she wouldn’t stay, so we’d hang out in Stratford or stay in hotels. I’d been extending my overdraft to pay for everything and in the end the bank pulled the plug!

Ever since Sarah and I met, even before we got together we’d always been in touch and it was difficult for us to be apart.  Sarah had to spend more time at the hostel (she was still in plaster) and I spent nights sleeping out.  I went to the Welcome Day Centre that we used in Ilford, they referred me to the shelter and soon after I got a bed.

When I first arrived, I thought this is a lot better than sleeping out. I’m used to my own company, so I find the lack of privacy a bit difficult at times.  I built up a lot of debt which I’m slowly working to pay off and living at the shelter is a big help with that –   but I’ll do it and make a home for me and Sarah.

Thomas’s story of an Islington childhood and sleeping rough on the streets of Kentish Town

I’m 26 – my family lived in Market Road Islington and I was born in University College Hospital. I’ve got a little brother who’s nearly 22. Growing up in Islington was good.  I went to Brecknock School and then on to Holloway Boys.  It was good to hang out with my mates and my best friend was Charlie.  We played a lot of football, I was in the school team and in the local league – we were pretty good and won the trophy 3 or 4 times.  At 16 I went to City & Islington 6^th form college to study ICT and I passed my entry level.  I had a wicked teacher called Lee and I had a great time there.  All this time I was living at home but life there was very harsh and difficult.

2 years ago, my dad nearly died.  He had a terrible accident when he fell down the stairs.  It was all very odd.  He’d been trying to wake me up for work, but it was only 3 in the morning.  We don’t really know what happened, but he must’ve become disorientated and fell. It was really bad, he was in a coma for 2 months with a blood clot in his head.  Then he got better and came home.

I was working at Screwfix and I was really frustrated – I had a lot on my mind.   My mum was in rehab and I was worried about her.  I was also worried about my dad – he was finding it difficult to be without my mum – he’d never been apart from her for 27 years.  I was really rude to my manager, but I was having such a rough time with everything – I regret it, but there you go – he sacked me!  When I lost my job, relations with my dad deteriorated.  We were getting on each other’s nerves and it got a bit out of hand and he kicked me out.  I was sleeping on the streets in Kentish Town round the back of the Co-Op. It was horrible.

I’d been on a training programme with the Arsenal on and off for 6years. I was so desperate that I called Jack who works for the Arsenal programme and asked if he could help me, as a long shot, he called Shelter from the Storm and amazingly they had a bed for me.  They were so welcoming to me at SFTS, they did everything they could to help me.  I saw the SFTS counsellor which helped me get back on track.

Mum had a bit of a wobble, but she’s back in rehab now which is great – I want her to get the best help possible.  Cookie found a place for me to move into and I’m off tomorrow.

I’m feeling optimistic about the future – I’m looking for work and I’m still volunteering at the Arsenal.  I am so grateful for the shelter and all the help they gave me when I really needed it

Liya: Read the heart breaking story of her journey from war torn Africa to a cruel & frightening life in the UK

I’m 29, I was born in Assab, Eritrea on the shores of the Red Sea. My mum was a housewifeand my dad was an accountant. We had a comfortable life. I was their only child – my mum suffered in some way when she gave birth to me and couldn’t have any more children – no one ever told me the details and she died from her medical problems when I was quite young.

When I was 12, dad and I moved to Sudan because of the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. We lived in Dueim and had a small supermarket – just me and dad. It was ok – not as nice as home, but ok. I didn’t get an education; my dad was frightened to let me go to school – soldiers would abduct the young people and take them back for military training. For a long time I didn’t work but then I got a job for a lady as a housemaid and looking after her children. She had a restaurant in her front room for 5 or 6 people and I’d help with the cooking.
When I was 25, my dad got very sick – I don’t know what was wrong but he had a catheter and I couldn’t care for him – he had sisters at home who could look after him, so he went back.
I was 26 when I left Sudan – life there was so very hard.

My uncle paid for a broker – I don’t know how much. There was 6 of us and we hid in the agent’s house for 4 months waiting for him to organise the trip. The agents are frightened of getting caught – they’d be imprisoned and probably have all their money taken off them. I was the only girl, but the boys were ok. Eventually we got a plane to France with fake passports. The agent had some friends who took us from the airport to a refugee jungle – not Calais. It was Winter, I had never experienced such cold and snow – it was awful. Some of the French people were very kind and brought us food and clothes and shoes – once a week we got a shower in a church. I was there 20 days – every night we would go to the lorry park and try to stowaway in the lorries. People would help us to climb in while the driver was asleep in his cab. It was really frightening – the drivers would wake up and chase us away. Twice I succeeded but was thrown out when I was discovered when the lorry was X-rayed. One night we got in and got across the Channel – 4 boys and 2 girls.

I don’t know where I arrived in the UK but the Police found us in the lorry and we were put in a detention centre. I claimed asylum and was sent to NASS accommodation in Glasgow. I was with an Iranian Girl I’d been in detention with and she was nice and the accommodation was ok.
After 2 months, I got my refugee status, started to work as a packer at Amazon and got council accommodation. The second day in the new place, the neighbours wrote on my wall N*****S OUT. They would put vomit in my doorway – spit on my door – break my windows – try to kick my door in – throw rubbish around my entrance – put fire-works through my letter box – they burnt my name off my door. When I left the house, they would regularly throw urine on me from the flats above. When I saw the N*****S OUT graffiti I was terrified, I called my housing officer, but they advised me not to go to the Police – they were worried that my neighbours would hurt me even more and that the Police wouldn’t be able to protect me.
I lived like this for 2 years and my neighbours never let up. I would come home from work and gangs of youths would be sitting on the stairs, smoking weed and blocking my way – I was too scared to ask them to move and I’d just wait outside until they got bored and moved on. When I asked my housing officer to rehouse me, she gave me a diary to fill in – but I can’t write.
I’d got a new job at a chocolate factory and I was working 7 days a week, but when I do get home I can’t sleep because I’m so frightened. A friend from Church came to visit and they stole his car, drove it away and set light to it. 5 boys I knew got stabbed.

Every day I was getting nose bleeds and headaches because of the stress. My doctor gave me some medicine but she said I couldn’t take it long term – I don’t know what it was, but it did help me sleep for a bit.

I begged them in housing to give me somewhere safe to live, but they just said I’d got a Council House and that’s all they could do. One of them said I should go to the Police, but I was too afraid.

I’d had enough – I got on the train to Euston. I went to Islington Council who said I had to go back to Glasgow – I said no, it’s too dangerous. Within a day, I was in Shelter from the Storm. The volunteers and guests here have been very kind. I’ve been doing English classes and Cookie has helped me find a place of my own – It’s way out and I don’t know anyone there, but it’s got to be better than Glasgow!
My dad is a little better, but I miss him so much. Now I just want to get a job and in the future, I dream of becoming a Nurse.

Liya was too scared to share her picture or any of her home in Glasgow that might identify her

It’s almost 4 years since we helped ex-serviceman Darren access residential support for his substance misuse issues. After years of rough sleeping, he first stayed with us in Christmas 2011 and we now feel he’s part of our SFTS family. Darren visits regularly and volunteers when he can. He is proud to say he’s still sober and living safely and independently in the community – he continues to re-establish a happy relationship with his mum and stepfather. We are so proud and honoured to have played a small part in Darren’s journey of recovery
‘Homelessness is not just for Christmas’
If you’d like to help us help more people like Darren just text:
SFTS01 to 70070 followed by £2, £5 or £10
or go to: http://sfts.org.uk/donations/

Meet a guest: Sophie
I’m 28 years old and I was born in Bucharest, Romania. I’m from a very unusual background, my mother is an artist and the daughter of a postman and my father was the son of a politician in the Ceausescu government. They separated when I was 6 and I went to live with my mum in Transylvania. I was sad about the split, but we were alright. I only saw my dad a couple of times and he died in 2012. I did OK at school, got decent grades and trained as a nurse. Because of the economic climate in Romania, I couldn’t find any work as a nurse, so in 2012 I came to the UK. Within a week I found a job as a care assistant in Hampshire. After a couple of months, I moved to another post in an old people’s home in Burnham-on-Sea. I was looking after residents in the last stages of dementia. The work was very challenging but I was up for it – I loved my job and my manager knew that when I was on shift, the residents will smile. I was there two and a half years. I had nice accommodation with an en-suite and I was appreciated by my employer, which was nice. The money wasn’t great, £7 per hour and my rent was deducted from my wages, but I lived OK and I didn’t feel hard up. I worked such long hours, 60-70 a week, that I earned quite a bit of money. I used all my holidays to travel. I visited Paris, France, Belgium, twice to Finland and went home to Transylvania every year.

It was on a visit home that I met the 2 women who were to make a turning point in my life. They were a mother and daughter. I met the daughter first in a pub 2012 we got drunk together and we became best friends. When I went home we continued our friendship on Facebook and Skype. I would send them money. In the beginning, everything was really great. In 2015, on a visit home, we decided we would all move to London together and make a life there. I gave in my notice and we started to live together in London.

Without me even noticing, they started to manipulate and control me. I was working in a bar and the daughter was working as a musician. We had a flat in Warwick Avenue which we shared the rent for. They would tell me that my real family didn’t care for me and that they were my true family – only they cared for me and I must choose between them and my birth family. They were isolating me from everyone. At the end of November 2015 we were in a bad situation – we couldn’t pay our rent and our letting agent told us you could survive in London by begging. They’d already pressured me into taking food from my work – it had caused me problems with my manager, it became very stressful and I lost my job. So, I started begging. Initially it was for tiny amounts of money – I’d ask people around Edgware Road for change. I’d stay out 2 or 3 hours and get about £20. They didn’t do that, just me – they were too proud! In the end we were evicted – we just couldn’t make the rent. We got another place in Leyton, but only for a month.
I was so unhappy, at the time they weren’t physically violent, but somehow they managed to make me go out to beg to get all the rent money. I guess I now understand that this is manipulation and control – at the time, I just thought I was helping my family – they were my family now!

We moved to Green Lanes, Haringey. The plan was to get the money for a car – my ‘family members’ didn’t like taking public transport. At the time it seemed like a reasonable idea. They had contacts in an hotel where they said they’d get me a job and I couldn’t wait to get working. But, the job never materialised and I was still begging. As the weather improved, people weren’t as generous and I didn’t always make the money they wanted me to. They’d already slapped me and kicked me, but in May they told me that if I didn’t bring a certain amount of money at a certain time, they would make me sleep outside. I never managed to get the money in time – I was always late and I would sleep out in an Arcade close to the house. I still gave them the money, they were my family and I loved them. We spoke on Facebook and they kept promising that they’ll get me a job. I gave them maybe £100 a day, I would put the money through the window. As long as I gave them money, it was all OK and I wasn’t bothered.
We had to move again and I was called in to help. We moved to Oakwood near Cockfosters and it was more of the same. It was now September and they were still promising me everything. Because I was beginning to make my own decisions they said I was being disloyal and said I didn’t care about ‘my family’. I wrote on Facebook one night that I’d had enough and I was leaving. They called me home, (pretending they hadn’t read my message), when I got there she slapped me and kicked me in the groin and leg wearing football boots. She threw me on the floor and kicked me some more. I was left with bruises all over. I was still sleeping rough and giving them money.

The final beating was because she didn’t like something I’d written on Facebook – it was nothing, totally inoffensive, but she took against me because of it. This time it was different – I tried to defend myself and she didn’t like that! I just left. It was the beginning of November, I spent a few nights in a hostel and someone told me about Women at the Well. They were great and referred me to Shelter from the Storm. One of the W@TW caseworkers went with me to our house to collect some belongings. The mother was there and she slapped me in front of the worker. We’d already told the police where we were going and that it was a potentially violent situation and they came almost immediately when we called them. I managed to get some clothes and most of my documents, but not all – I think they deliberately destroyed some of them. Then I came to the shelter.

Now I just want to get my own place and a job. I’ve had a couple of interviews and I’ve got a trial shift as a kitchen porter – I’m hopeful. I really like it at the shelter and the food is very good. I love the clothes store, it’s my favourite place, I found a beautiful shirt and some really nice boots today. Life is better and at last l feel safe.

Ben

I’m 60 years old and I was born in Mullingar, outside of Dublin, Southern Ireland. It was a typical Irish Catholic family, there were originally 4 boys and 4 girls, but a brother died before I was born. I was sent to a diocesan seminary to study for the priesthood – I lasted 3 years. I hated every minute of it, it was hell, so abusive and as you can see I didn’t become a priest – their loss! At 15 they threw me out. I had a 22 year old brother who was a barman in Ballard’s Lane, Finchley. It went from the sublime to the ridiculous, I’d hardly had a single drink at home and I was suddenly drinking as much as I liked for free in London. It was the start of my long and dysfunctional relationship with alcohol – the seeds were sown. I was ‘living it large’, a kid alone in London, going to all the concerts, drinking and smoking hash – I had a great time.

I went home for a bit to resit my O’levels and at 18 I returned to London and started work in construction as a pipe fitter and railway worker, mostly in Camden and Islington. We weren’t given any training and the work was really dangerous – I worked alongside a guy who was decapitated on the job, we had to haul his body out of the trench we were digging. It was job to pub – pub to job; that’s the heavy drinking cycle we were all in. Sometimes I worked on “the Lump” and sometimes I’d have a contract. I didn’t see the inside of a dole queue for 15 years.
In 1981 I returned to Ireland. I was labouring during the day and Roadying for bands at night. That’s when I first came in to contact with class A drugs. We did speedballs, which are a mix of Cocaine and Amphetamine Sulphate. This was during my late 20’s till I was 36.
On 3 March 1993 I stopped using everything, drink and drugs. I had returned to London and was living in a bedsit in Forest Hill, by this time I had developed a considerable habit but I just went cold turkey. It was a matter of maths, I’d spent nearly half my life completely sober the next half totally smashed – the sums didn’t add up – if I hadn’t stopped then, I’d have died. My life had become pretty chaotic, I was getting into fights, appearing in court (only minor charges, never jaile). I asked my GP for help but he refused, so I just did it on my own. I was in a really frightening place, it was days before I could even leave my room, I could hardly walk and my thoughts were like a skipping CD.

I spent a lot of time with my friends squatting in Islington. They were all still using. Most of them died in their 30’s. The one line I never crossed was to use drugs intravenously. The people I know who did are all dead now.

I met a woman who had also stopped using and to begin with it was great. She had teenage kids who I got on well with. We lasted 7 years but it was a co-dependant relationship so there were problems. In 1998 we went on holiday to Ireland and the ‘Celtic Tiger’ was in full swing. There was loads of work and I wanted to stay but she didn’t, so we split. I got a great job as a Council gardener.

My brother died in 2000 and I started drinking again. I’m a binge drinker and the trigger always seems to be either my own depression (which I’ve suffered all my life) or a funeral. I started using cocaine again as well as the drink and mdma – my sessions would last as long as my money did.

In 2004 I came back to London and was mostly sober apart from the odd binge. They’d usually last about 10 days. I first came to Shelter from the Storm in 2007 when they were at St James’s Church Hall. I was living on the streets but I used to come for a bit of dinner and a shower. I stayed with SFTS when they moved to Elmore Street.

People don’t realise that it’s ten times easier to be drunk and homeless than sober and homeless. There’s a camaraderie with the drink and it seems to keep out the cold – it makes the day move along easier. It is difficult to stay straight when you don’t have a home. You have to stay away from your old haunts or you WILL relapse, no two ways about it. I was told twice that my liver was shot, the second time I believed them! Miraculously I don’t have Cirrhosis but it did kill my brother and my aunt.

When I was sleeping rough, a couple of us used to sneak in to Highbury Swimming Pool at night. We tried to get out before the staff arrived but if we didn’t manage, the attendants would often bring us a cup of tea. We did that for quite a while but the woman I did it with is dead now. You could find empty buildings to squat in then, we squatted the Tramshed at Highbury Corner for 18 months, we even had a couple of ‘Raves’ which made us quite a bit of money.

From September 2012 until a month ago I had a flat in Islington. The landlord evicted me because he wanted to re-develop the place. He was refused planning but the order had already gone through and I found myself, at the age of 60, on the streets again and back at SFTS!

I’m pretty easy to read, if you see me with a can in my hand things are bad – if you don’t, I’m probably doing fine. At the moment I’m feeling OK but that can change. I’m hopeful that I’ll be housed soon; people are trying to help me. I’m working part time as a cleaner in Islington and I’ve started writing my book. It’s part novel, part autobiography about the abuse of my catholic childhood. It’s depressing but also quite cathartic – saves me forking out for a therapist!

Joanna
In Poland I had my own business, I was a make up artist for photographers and film & TV. Business wasn’t doing too good so we decide to try our luck in England.
To begin with I did OK and I lived and worked in London with my young son for six years. When he was 12, we went back to Poland while we waited for my permanent residency papers. Even though he had been doing really well at school in London, we decided he should stay in Poland to complete his secondary education. He’s living with my mum, which is sad for me, but he’s achieving great grades.
I came back on my own and in May this year I had a big problem with my landlord – I was working freelance and asked if I could pay my rent in instalments. To begin with this was ok, but then he said he wasn’t happy and gave me a day’s notice to leave. I came back from work to find the locks had been changed. I went to the Council who told me to go to the Citizens Advice – the Citizens Advice told me to call Shelter UK – Shelter UK told me to go back to the Council. The Council called my landlord and said he needed to give me 4 weeks notice. My landlord let me back in, but only let me stay for a week. During that week I phoned and emailed everyone I could think of and finally got a referral to SFTS – it was pure luck that they had a space! The whole experience was just awful – one of the most stressful times of my life.
When I came to the shelter, everyone was just so kind and welcoming and nice. I couldn’t find the place, so one of the volunteers came out into the street to find me. I still had a bit of freelance work but that dried up. When the agency I worked for found out I was homeless, they just dumped me. I’d been a good employee for this agency but they didn’t care – I guess they thought homelessness wasn’t good for their image! When Cookie heard I’d lost my job, she helped me get a place on the Prêt a Manger Apprenticeship scheme. I’ve been working full time nearly 2 months. I really love it. I like my manager and team – they come from all over the world and I feel truly at home.
Because I live rent-free at the shelter and they provide all my food, I’ve managed to save up for a rent deposit. I’m just dreaming of being able to get my own place and having my son to visit me. I will always remember the shelter with such affection – they were there for me when I needed it – when I was at my lowest. I was so frightened and I didn’t expect to get this sort of help.
I’m just so grateful to everyone here and I’ve made lots of friends. One day I’d like to come back and volunteer to help other homeless people.
Image may contain: 2 people , people smiling , indoor