I never had a dad in my life to guide me in the right direction. So when my son was born, I knew I wanted to be different. To be a good role model and a good dad. Things needed to change and, above all, this meant tackling my drug use. What had started out as social using, eventually got out of control and turned my whole world upside down. At the start of 2018 I was sleeping rough, sheltering in fire exits when I had nowhere else to go.
Determined to move forward, I told the council about my problems and was referred to a drug counselling program. I successfully completed rehab and was given a space in temporary housing. That was 7 months ago. I've taken control of my life for the very first time. I've rebuilt my relationship with my family. I'm volunteering at church at the weekly soup kitchen. And now I'm looking to move back into full time employment. I've done driving jobs before and these licences will let me build a career for life. There's a lot of work out there when you have the right skills.
What will I do with my first pay cheque? I want to buy a present for my son. After that, I'll focus on getting a place of my own so he can visit regularly. I feel prepared to take on this new challenge and I'm eager to begin.