Name:

Sean

Age:

28

Help Received:

ID to register with landlords and final part of a deposit

Sean’s Story

At the end of a hard day’s work there is nothing most of us want more than the close our front door to the outside world, put our feet up and zone out for a bit in the living room. And if we’ve got a big meeting or challenging task coming up the next day, we know a good night’s sleep in our own bed is essential to get us in the right zone.

It was exactly the same for Sean, but he didn’t have a front door he could close or his own bed to sleep in. Having lost his accomodation some months before, he was managing to hold down his job while hopping between friend’s sofas or the Bed Every Night emergency shelter in Wigan. Not knowing where he would be able to stay each night, carrying his stuff around with him, sometimes being unable to take a shower or wash his kit, it was all putting his job at risk and leaving him no time to find a place of his own. What’s more, grabbing food on the go, travelling from place to place, and contributing whatever he could to the people who were kindly putting him up was drawing on all Sean’s wages so he wasn’t able to save up.

“I was close to giving up on the job and accepting that this was my life now.

Thanks to Real Change, I was able to find a place to live, keep my job and didn’t fall through the gaps into long-term homelessness”

The Real Change which was made

Because Sean was an ex-servicemen, he was able to apply to national organisations the Royal British Legion and Poppy Factory. Grants from these organisations along with what money he could pull together got him just £80 off the deposit and up-front rent required. With everything else in place and Sean ready to move in, another application was put in to Real Change Wigan & Leigh for the final bit of cash. The application was approved, and Sean was able to move into his own place, keep his job, and get on with his life.

Sean was surviving on his own for a long time before he sought out help, and on their own Real Change, the Night Shelter, Housing Options and all the other projects could only do bits and pieces for him too. Together, they were able to end his homelessness outright and draw in extra resources from outside in doing so. That’s what it takes to create ‘real change’ on homelessness, but as Sean’s story shows it is possible with your help.

Donate and make a Real Change for people like Sean