![]() “At the time it really upset me and I just couldn’t carry on with my job. “I worked at a builder’s merchant for many years but stopped working because of the breakdown and I didn’t do anything to get support really,” Dave explained. He fell into serious rent arrears and it got to a point where the bills were starting to increase too.” “A close friend of Dave’s died and he left his job when he started really struggling with depression. Nikki, a floating support specialist officer at Launchpad, assessed Dave at the time and said: “When Dave first came to us, he was physically quite withdrawn, didn’t make eye contact, was low in mood and we could see that he was socially isolated. He’d suffered a nervous breakdown and left his job, and was facing eviction. If you would like to find out about how you can donate to Launchpad, please call our fundraising team on 01.ĭave was at rock bottom when he came to our drop-in service. If you donate to Launchpad, thank you, we are very grateful to have your support. ![]() Without the funds you donate, it is likely that Brian would still be sleeping rough. Launchpad’s life-changing work can only happen with the help of our supporters. It’s been a long time since I could say that.” I have my own space, my own TV, my own bed. I’m moving on from Launchpad’s short-term support programme into a much longer-term home. “I’m now living in Reading Borough Council’s sheltered accommodation. I hope that now I have a place to call home and the support of a counsellor, that I will be able to focus on my drinking problem. With his help, I’ve also been able to access counselling. “My Launchpad support officer has been amazing, I can’t tell you how much he has changed my life for the better. This has ensured I can afford to pay my bills and keep a roof over my head. Whilst I was in temporary accommodation, they (Launchpad) also helped me to apply for my full benefit entitlement. The Launchpad team have brought some stability to my life, initially through moving me into their Supported Accommodation. “This was the best thing that has happened to me for a long time. They quickly referred him to the charity’s Supported Housing team. Do you know what I mean?”īrian’s first contact with Launchpad was with the Floating Support team, in February 2022. When you’re homeless, drink doesn’t help, but it does also help. I’ve been off the drugs for two years, but I am still drinking – to cope with how I feel. “I’m older now, 65 and my health has been deteriorating for some time. Back then I could cope with the instability that comes with sofa surfing or sleeping rough for years on end. When you’re homeless, drink, drugs and the threat of violence are never far away. “As a younger man I could cope with the challenges of homelessness. I knew that I needed some help at that point. ![]() Can you imagine how that felt? This was my lowest point – the final straw. “I woke up in a car park with rats crawling over me. At that point, if I wasn’t supported by Launchpad I don’t know where I’d be now. “After living a very chaotic lifestyle for a long time, things came to a head for me in early in 2022. For a long time he was resilient to the challenges he face, but in 2022, things became too much for Brian and he accepted that he needed help. He has been homeless many times over many years.īrian had an extremely difficult early family life. Brian is 65 and has been a Reading resident for 35 years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |