Success stories

Across London, homelessness remains a serious issue and official statistics only tell part of the story. In addition to those who are recorded as homeless by local authorities, there are others whose homelessness is unaccounted for - the "hidden" homeless. These people live in hostels, bed and breakfasts, squats, or are sleeping on the floors of friends and family. Our services are designed to help our clients move away from this kind of insecure living and move forward in some way, whether it be a small step or a complete transformation of their lives. Here are stories from some of the people we have helped.

Brigid
She “fell in with the wrong crowd” at 16 and started drinking and using drugs. At 18 she became pregnant and experienced domestic violence from an abusive partner, so had to give her baby to relatives to look after whiles she sought refuge. From this point onwards, her life became more chaotic and her heroin habit worsened. She was homeless for 9 years, living on the streets, in hostels, and refuges.

When she first came to The Connection our priority was to support Brigid and make her feel safe, so our Advice & Housing team helped to find her a hostel. They also helped her with accessing benefits, put her in touch with a drug support project and helped her to get a referral to see a counsellor.  She is unable to read or write and Workspace, our education, training and employment service, helped her to enrol on a literacy course at a local college.

Although Brigid is still very vulnerable, she is eager to move forward in her life, and put her past behind her. She says: ”When I first came to The Connection I wasn’t ready to accept help. I had to hit rock bottom, to begin to build my life back up. The staff here are very understanding and take time to listen to you. The support is here and if you want it, and you have to grab that support with both hands. It’s not always easy but it’s the only way to make a fresh start”

Brigid is currently on a methadone programme, and goes to a drug project for support.  She has moved from the hostel to a longer stay housing project and is currently waiting to be moved into her own flat. 
 
Nigel
Nigel did not have an easy start to life and at a young age was living in care where he experienced mental health problems.

He joined the RAF at the tender age of 16. He says: “I’d left the RAF and had moved to Morocco where I’d lived for 3 years. I ended up leaving my life there due to domestic violence by my partner which resulted in my arm being broken. I needed to get back to the UK, but had no money and managed to hitch-hike back from Casablanca.”

He escaped his life in Morocco but arrived in London with nothing and was sleeping rough. Nigel describes how his life had hit rock bottom and he even contemplated suicide.

Nigel says: “I was in a really bad state when I arrived – my head was a mess. I was immediately referred to Lee and Su in the Mental Health team – we had a chat and they completed an assessment process with me and referred me to the CSTM Night Centre for respite. They ensured I was linked in with Psychiatric services and with a medical team who could support me with my physical health. 

He describes how The Connection at St Martin’s was the turning point: “Su and Lee were amazing - I was able to come in literally every day and I just opened up – about my battered childhood and time in care and the difficult experiences I’d faced serving in the RAF. I joined the RAF to escape (or so I thought) my problems at home, but in fact, I just went from one institution to another where I buried my problems even more deeply.”

With The Connection at St Martin’s help Nigel was referred to Home Base, a charity which provides ex-military personnel with accommodation and he’s now living in high-support housing.

Nigel is getting on really well in his accommodation and with a friend has been getting involved in an enterprising project. He distributes unused food from outlets to homeless people in need. He says: “I feel like I’m being useful, and that is an amazing feeling.” 

Dickson
Dickson is a refugee from Rwanda. A bright and amiable individual, Dickson became victim to his circumstances, although being skilled as a Welder, he was sleeping on the streets which made it very difficult for him to find work. 

The Connection at St Martin's referred him to its Workspace group, which helps people find jobs. They worked with him to develop a CV tailored to Customer Service roles to maximise his employment opportunities.

It was just a matter of time waiting for the right opportunity. Before long John Lewis, one of The Connection at St Martin's corporate partners, offered Dickson a trial in the Menswear department of its Flagship store on Oxford Street.

His work trial commenced at the end of September and, two weeks later, Dickson had enamoured himself so well with his colleagues at the store that he was offered a paid extension over the Christmas period.

Not only were staff impressed by Dickson but he also received three 'Customer Appreciations' (positive feedback) from satisfied customers during his first two weeks, an achievement his colleagues described as 'outstanding'. 

Since, John Lewis has offered Dickson a permanent position and his future is looking bright.