Margaret is 62. “But everybody tells me I look younger”, she says. She came to London 25 years ago from Poland, where she’d worked as a German translator.
She began by studying English, initially planning to return home. However, she stayed on, working in pubs and cafés, cleaning and looking after children. “I’ve always liked London”, she says: “I used to go out a lot, to plays and concerts.” But as the economic climate worsened, work dried up. She could no longer afford her room and became homeless: “I spent five weeks at Victoria coach station, sleeping sitting up”, she says, shuddering as she’s now been at SFTS for several months and cherishes having a bed: “After losing it all and being out on the street, you appreciate everything here”, she says: “The shelter is like a university of life — you have time to learn to cope and to get to know yourself better.
She hopes to find work and become independent again. “I’m still around and my brain works”, she laughs. She’d like to use her languages or work with children. Another dream is to travel to Nepal, or somewhere in South America: “I was born in the mountains, so I love climbing and trekking.
Margaret says she used to see the downside, even when good things happened. But that’s changed since arriving at the shelter. “When you’re down, you have no choice”, she says, “I’ve never been so positive in my life”.