“I was kicked out of home when I was 18 due to a relationship breakdown with my mum’s boyfriend. My relationship with my mum became difficult and she asked me to leave.”
Before coming to the YMCA, Liam was sofa surfing with friends around Norwich and Norfolk but kept ending up rough sleeping in a tent in a local woodland. “To be honest the whole period is a blur, it all happened because it was such a difficult and chaotic time in my life. I was also misusing substances, but after a period of time I was referred to Supported Lodgings”.
He then moved in with a Supported Lodgings family in Norwich. Liam got on well with his Support Worker and found that he was understanding about his situation and didn’t judge him. He soon realised that he struggled to cope living with back in a family environment, due to his past, and decided to leave Supported Lodgings.
After spending almost a year living without a place to call home in Norwich, Liam began to feel like he had no future, and so his health declined. Liam started drinking every day and misusing substances in hopes to blot out the pain he was in. He was homeless and sofa surfing for a while before winter approached. Some friends living at YMCA Central Hostel told Liam about YMCA Norfolk and the support they can offer and so he went along to the Council’s Homelessness Team to be assessed again.
When Liam moved into YMCA Central for the first time, he felt relieved that he had somewhere warm and safe to live, appreciating the support that was given. He had friends living there at the time and found that he could slowly start helping himself develop healthier coping mechanisms with a strong support network around him.
Liam then moved into MyPlace, another YMCA Accomodation, after growing in independence at YMCA Central. He said, “I immediately felt more relaxed due to having my own flat and more independence. I enjoyed my time there and I felt that I was also able to approach staff if I had any problems and they would listen and be there if I needed”.
Looking towards the future, Liam is very excited to reach the goal of having his own place and feels as though he’s equipped with all the skills needed to manage a tenancy. He wants to have a house in the Norfolk countryside and be a self-employed gardener and is currently doing a groundsman apprenticeship to help achieve this goal.
“I feel that YMCA Norfolk has had a direct impact on making me a stronger and wiser person. I feel like I have developed my confidence as a person and have enjoyed the independence given. I feel like I have proven myself with YMCA Norfolk staff and in turn they have given me encouragement and trusted me with independence”.
Name has been changed to protect the resident’s identity.