I get my energy from other people. I'm a really sociable person so seeing other people happy and having people around me is important. I've been through some really difficult times over the last few months but I'm still positive about my future. I know what it feels like to have a stable home and an income to pay the bills so I use this as my main motivation to keep going.
Up until last year, I lived up North. I was staying with friend and contributed to rent and bills as I was working. Then, there was a breakdown in relationship between us both and I had no choice but to leave. I came to London and stayed in cheap hostels for as long as my small savings pot lasted. When my money ran out, I had to bed down in the street.
The physical consequences of sleeping rough often seem more spoken about than the emotional difficulties. For me, the feeling of being unloved and hopeless were the worst part. You lose the mental energy needed to problem solve and change your own situation. When the government called for rough sleepers to be given shelter due to COVID-19, I was helped into a hotel and supported by St Mungo's. This is when things started to improve for me.
I have a lot of experience working within warehouses as well as other industries. I'm not afraid of hard work at all but just needed this extra bit of support to help with the first step. In two years' time I can see myself in my own rented place, doing a job that I'm good at! I've not been homeless before now and I hope that it'll soon become just a memory.