I know I want to better myself. I have my son, so I want to be a the best role model I can be for him. That pushed me to start looking for training and new opportunities. St Mungo’s gave me that chance, and just one person believing in me was the start of good things to come. Last year, I started a 3 month taster course learning a mix of skills, like bricklaying, plastering and dry-lining. I was good at it and especially enjoyed the bricklaying. I know I enjoy it, it's a good career and I would love to do it as a job for life.
With my housing situation, I have been in rent arrears for 5 years now. A few weeks ago, I received a notice of eviction and am now at risk of becoming homeless. I am currently in a 2-bed flat, that I used to share with my partner and son. I've been living in the flat alone, and so, when the bedroom tax was introduced, I couldn’t keep up with my rent payments. I’m keen to change housing, but I have to clear my arrears first, which has been really difficult with my current income. At the moment, I am just doing all I can to try and avoid getting evicted.
I’m really looking forward to getting back into full-time work and earning good money. I can't wait to get started. The plan is to get qualified and hopefully start working as a bricklayer in the very near future!
Calvin is working with Beam as he is at risk of homelessness.