Lost but Not Defeated: How I Escaped My Abusers and Reclaimed My Life
I was only sixteen when everything fell apart. For as long as I could remember, home was a scary place. My stepdad was always angry, always watching. His hands were heavy, and his eyes had this look that made me feel like I was always in trouble, even when I hadn’t done anything wrong. My […]
Breaking Free: A Journey from Home to Homelessness
I never thought homelessness would be my reality. No one dreams about ending up on the streets, but there I was. It all started with home, a place that was supposed to be my sanctuary but felt like a battlefield. Every day was unpredictable—sometimes quiet and tense, other times loud with shouting, slamming doors, and […]
Finding Our Place: An Immigrant Mother’s Journey to Belong
You know, there are many things I like about the community here. Really, sometimes it feels so nice. I meet people who are very warm and friendly, people who make me feel like we belong here. But then… there is another side. Sometimes, it feels like I am still an outsider, like I am not […]
Fighting for a Place: My Journey from Ghana to a New Home
When I started looking for a place in May, I was hopeful. I knew it wouldn’t be easy—nothing ever is when you’re moving to a new country, especially while studying for a PhD. But I had no idea it would be this hard, this exhausting. Each day, the weight of uncertainty grew heavier on my […]
On the Edge: A Single Mum’s Struggle to Keep It Together
I got made redundant last year when my company downsized. It all happened so fast—one moment, everything seemed fine, and the next, I was without a job, feeling completely lost and terrified. As a single mum with two kids, I didn’t have any savings to fall back on. I always thought I’d have time to […]
From Career to Couch: Navigating Life with ME and the Struggles of Sofa Surfing
Before I got struck down by ME, I was doing alright for myself as a management accountant. I’d worked my way up, was a postgraduate student, and had landed some decent jobs with big companies up North. Life was on track, or so I thought, with my career going just the way I’d planned. Then […]
St Albans: A Home We Can No Longer Afford – What About Our Children’s Future?
St Albans has been my home for as long as I can remember. I’ve raised my children here, in a town that has always felt safe and welcoming. But now, I find myself facing a future I never imagined—a future where my children won’t be able to stay in the place they’ve grown up. As […]
On the Margins: An NHS Worker’s Reality
I’m 40 years old, and I never thought I’d be living in a static caravan at this stage in my life. But here I am, parked up in a little corner of a site just outside St Albans, trying to make the best of it. I work for the NHS, and I love my job. […]
Trapped in Love: A Mother’s Exhaustion
I’m sitting here by the window, staring out at the world moving on without me, and all I can feel is this heavy, suffocating weight of being stuck. The sun’s out, people are living their lives, and here I am, trapped in the same routine, day after day. It’s like I’m living the same day […]
John’s Journey: From Homelessness and Addiction to Hope and Healing
My name is John, and I’ll be 54 next month. I’ve lived in Hatfield since 1972, and I’ve been homeless since 2015. No one chooses to be homeless, but sometimes life takes unexpected turns. My mental health has always been a challenge, and I’ve struggled with various addictions that I’m still battling today. While I’ve […]
