Report transcript in: Receiving support from Depaul & GMBOP

Please Report the Errrors?

OK,

so what has been your experience of Pathfinder,

and how does it relate to your life slash world?

Well,

Pathfinder found me when I was in a in a very bad place, Should I say

and, um

the

the amount of support

that they give me a

at the start

what I was receiving from everyone

organisation. It's

It is it's made a real impact in my life.

The fact of if if

the journey I was on before I met

and

the

the people I surrounded myself with and

the person I thought I was

was

not real.

It it was

it was like a a picture, like like like a mask to put on. And

it it it took me reaching rock bottom,

getting the help

to make me realise a lot of stuff that makes sense.

Um,

it's it's it's taken me out of

homeless. Well, I say homelessness that they help him.

I'm on the path to get myself in my own accommodation. Now,

I come from

staying in a very,

um,

unhealthy place that was quite dangerous to

somewhere where I've got my own bedroom at the minute, you know, like

so,

uh,

I feel like it's changed my life for the better.

Do you know what I mean? And it's

We need to talk about, um,

Pathfinder finding you

and you getting involved in Pathfinder. How How was that experience like

So I I was

the man City Council was trying an emphasis on trying to help her

because there was more use than a chocolate tea pot. You know what I mean?

Like so?

And they put me in touch with Pathfinder.

And since that first phone call it, it's like

they did more for me within a week than the council did within months.

You know, and it's

It's a brilliant service, To be honest,

they need They need more stuff like this out

there

because the positive impact that has on the positive impact I've

seen that have on me and the people around me,

you know?

Yeah,

and how does it compare

to support that you've received after the council?

It's it's It's a lot more

person based on not

box ticking.

So they care about.

They care about you as a person, as an individual, not as a number or

as another mean to get funding you know. And

you, Can

you notice the

what's what's the best word? Not care, but,

um,

the fall and and earth.

I'm trying to think

the ability

that that they hold and the ability they want to help you, it's not.

It's not for their own game.

It's for yours, you know, and that it speaks volumes in this type of,

um,

world we live in. Especially

that you have people out there who

do care for you

and you're not alone.

Need more of it,

to be honest,

is there, like any

key key things that you remember initially what they helped you out with?

Well,

before I met,

As as I've just got in contact with, I found out they got in contact with me.

I was going through crisis situations, so I was like,

um,

I was a very, very angry person.

And,

uh, I was in A and A and

finder

or someone from someone from Pathfinder

people should I say come and sat with me and

made sure I was OK because I don't have family like that,

and I don't really have anyone.

having someone sat there and I thought I had no but

it makes you look at life in a different light,

you know, and it's

It's not It's not all bad,

you know. And

it taught me how to control my anger.

Now I'm I'm a lot better. I'm a lot more chilled out. I'm more relaxed.

Don't take things too

personally. Now I'm not.

It's not an attack before and I was in a bad place. I I know I had to be strong.

Now I I have the

let my guard down and be

be a person and not

not someone

who someone is not proud of, you know?

And since that moment where you sat in A&E and they came to speak to you like what?

What other things Can you look back and see that they've helped you with

my life? To be honest, if you say if it if it wasn't for the the certain people who

find that I don't think I'll be excited today like that's I I can openly say that

they they've

stepped in at that that time.

And

yeah, this changed my life to most turn turn it upside down.

Like literally I was in a bad place. And now

I can stand on my own two ft and hold my head up there

and say I am a good person.

You know what I mean?

What what does the support look like that they gave you

1 to 1? You know, like phone calls or you get a phone call every day.

I mean, just say, check up, be all right, and

the amount of morale and the amount of,

um,

positivity that that puts in you knowing that

you have people out there still thinking about your

have been being invited to come in, you know,

and sit down and help him with paperwork helping apply for stuff.

If and I, I wouldn't have a clue because the system as it is now,

they don't want you to get it personally, in my view that

the paperwork they have

the

the amount of hoops you have to jump through just to get certain things. It's

There's people out there with severely dyslexic who are homeless and

just

trying to give them a piece of paper to fill it in.

It's not going to happen. Do you know what I mean?

I'm dyslexic myself, so I struggle with writing.

when I do for like, um, people in

or the

filled forms out, you know, the the the writing pen,

it's not not it's not on the computer, either.

Anyone can.

They're doing a pen on paper

and the amount of

amount of love and care that person that puts in for you to.

You know, that's how I see it, to take their time to

fill paperwork out for somebody else. You know, it takes a special type of person

and

yeah, it's it's

it's It's hard to see

where my life would be if this didn't

involve, you know, if if they didn't interfere when they did

and it it's

it's hard to think that there's people out here worse in my worse position than

me who are not having this help because they don't know how to get it or

they're not pushed in that direction.

Everyone just forgets about him, and they just left to their own demise. You know

they need this path. Founder and the people who work with them

need the rec recognition, and they need to be put out there as

the place that will help, and it's not just

for

the numbers, and it's not just for

the

the people at the top to get, you know,

the bonuses when they're getting more people to come through, because

that that's all it is. Now that's all it is.

The the Council is, the more people that get you know, it's

it's hard.

It's hard to think now because I can sit back and I can look

at other people and think of how much pain they must be going through

it.

It's a challenge to see it, you know, because it's not one person can change it.

It takes,

you know, a sitter, maybe to change it and stand up for what we believe in

and

are

doing it with the whole, you know,

standing up against homelessness.

It's

No one chooses to be honest. Do you know what I mean?

No one wakes up like I know I'm gonna pack the bag and stay on the bench outside.

It's

but

when people get to that point, there's

there's no one there and

you have people like

people organisations like Pathfinder who will

do everything in their power.

I'm gonna say everything like they will move mountains.

But you have to help yourself as well, you know, and and that's

that's what I found because I start.

I wasn't I was just sat there thinking, Oh, my life's bad.

But once I started putting my own house and get

the amount of team work you get because you're working with each

other and they can see that you want to do it and it's

Yeah, look at me now. A few months ago, I was coming in, and now

mean

it.

It can change it. It does get better.

You just got to believe.

And when you were saying like lots of 1 to 1 support Is there any, like,

group sessions or anything like that?

Not that I'm aware it could be. Not that I'm aware of, because I I'm

like I said, I'm I'm very not isolated. I just don't do people that much,

and then

I just

I I I I've always been invited to the 1 to 1. I've

always like I said, I I I've never

I'll never say no to a group session,

you know, And and to be honest,

it would be good to meet like minded people who

are in your position to understand that you're not alone.

You know, it's like someone sat there with a nice suit on

saying it's gonna be all right and you understand.

But seeing someone else sat in bag, you know what I mean?

You have not had a wash, and you, like,

can relate to him. Do you know what I mean? And it

it's it's it's good for

It's good for people exercises. It shows you that you are human.

You know, people, people fail,

happens.

And is there anything else any other experiences that

you can think of that you'd like to mention?

And

it's like

when

So the reason I was homeless I was in the military and my mom died when I was 16.

Um,

my dad's a home in New

York.

So when I come out of the military,

my dad lost the family home. So

from

18 I've been office. I

I'm 27

seven days, eight days

that

happy birthday. Thank you.

Um, but it it's like

so for surfing for So what? 10 years now? Maybe just just in 10 years.

It's

it. It it It took its toll.

And and like I said, I only a year ago, I I was I was staying in a bad place. I I was

I was doing stupid stuff

and and it's like

I I I I I wasn't using that as an excuse, but it it was

I didn't have any support. Do you know what I mean?

Since I've come out, I've I've I've called I've you know what I mean?

I'm I'm a veteran.

I've not I didn't see any military combat, but it's still the same. It is.

I still put my time. I give my time for this country and

I've come to the council helping like I need help, you know what I mean?

I've got nowhere to go, and it's like

there's nothing there for you,

you know? And

when As soon as I mentioned that I was an ex

military for

and the amount of

extra support and and and the extra,

um,

blanket should we call it of,

um, friendship, you know, knowing that

thank you for what you're doing and and and having that understanding,

it's

it's made me the person I am today. Do you know what I mean? and and I can openly say,

if it wasn't for them. Um,

yeah, it'll be. It'll be a lot worse place now than it was then

it's hard because people people judge about

both.

I don't know

when people see me,

I'm I'm 26

and they don't think

that I'm I'm struggling because I put a smile on my face.

They don't think I'm

I'm hurting it all,

you know. And

it's

when you start speaking to people, especially

people like

and and they start breaking down the barriers and start

scratching that surface like you put a smile on.

But deep down, you you do need this help, you know. And

it is.

It's just amazing to be honest now, knowing that

there's people out there and

no, no matter what journey you've been through, no matter what you've done,

no matter

if you've been a bad person, it don't make you a bad person. Now you can still change.

Do you know what I mean? And it it's

down to you to change.

Brilliant.

Thank you very much.

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Posted By

Author

Georgia Davenport

Post date

21/03/2022