Osman’s story

Osman had to flee his home country, but quickly found himself homeless in London. He was referred to our No Second Night Out service where staff supported him to claim asylum and rebuild his life, and now he runs a successful local business. This is his story.

At home in Egypt I ran a fruit and vegetable export company for more than 15 years. We exported to England, Russia, Ukraine, Holland and lots of other countries in Europe. I never had to search for customers, they always came to me. I was very well known for my good service and good prices.

One day, a company I worked with only paid me half what I was owed on a very large order. That got me in big trouble with people I worked alongside, as I could not pay them. I tried really hard to make the money back, but I couldn’t. I was in a dangerous position with the people I owed money to.

I had to leave the country in 2015

All my life I never thought I would live anywhere but Egypt because of my family. I love my family – I am the eldest of nine and I have a son too. I miss my family more than anything and I miss the business I had in Egypt too.

When I first arrived in England, I didn’t think I would be gone for longer than six months. Now, it has been four years and I haven’t been back to Egypt once. I can’t go back, until I find the money.

After my six months my travel visa ran out, I was declined an extension and told by the Home Office I had to return home. At the same time, threats were being made not only to me but also to my family. It made me feel suicidal.

My money quickly started to run out and I ended up on the streets

I slept rough in London Victoria. The first four days were really hard for me. I didn’t know what my future would look like. I had no idea where I would go.

Luckily, an outreach team found me quickly and they told me about the Passage, who put in a referral to St Mungo’s No Second Night Out. Three days later, I was able to go to the hub.

When I came to the hub and saw I would sleep on the floor, I felt a bit nervous. But all the staff were so nice. They spoke to me about my situation and the problems I was experiencing and said they wanted to help me. After that, the support was perfect.

They supported me to claim asylum in the UK

St Mungo’s connected me to a solicitor who supported me to claim asylum in the UK. They helped me explain my situation to the Home Office and they gave me two and a half years on a human rights visa.

At No Second Night Out they helped me with my mental health too. When I first got here, I was suicidal. The staff here helped me access a doctor, and I sat down with staff who listened to me talk about how I felt.

They gave me new life

At the hub I was given the space I needed, when I needed it. It helped me feel human.

Since then, I have been volunteering at different places making food for people who are homeless. It is good to be able to give back to people. I have also since found a flat of my own with the help of a refugee centre. It is a proper home; it’s helped me feel stable again.

It gave me a base to start thinking about a new business

The No Second Night Out West Hub is next to Shepherd’s Bush Market, so I would often walk through it. Despite being homeless at the time, I came up with the idea of opening a stall. Three years later, I now have my own business selling fresh fruit juices at the market – I also do food catering for events. It can be tough at times, but I work hard and I will keep trying. I know I will make it a success.

I love living in London – it is great being somewhere so busy. I always travel by red bus so that I can sit on the top floor and see the city. In the future, I will have a good business here in the UK, I will pay off the money I owe, and I will see my family again back in Egypt.

James’ story

Photo of James Tickell, Partner at Campbell Tickell

James is a Partner of Campbell Tickell, the management consultancy firm which works with hundreds of statutory and not-for-profit sector organisations. His personal connection with St Mungo’s began over 30 years ago. This is his story.

St Mungo’s is an old friend. We go back to the early 1980s, and have been in touch ever since! My earliest contact was when I was being interviewed for my first ever job in housing, at what was then Community Housing, now One Housing.

One of the interview panel was a representative of the voluntary agencies working in Camden and Westminster, as my job was to be in charge of developing special projects and working with local charities.

This was Peter Davey of St Mungo’s, who not only helped me get the job but remains a firm friend to this day. We soon found ourselves working together, sorting out the development of such projects as the Endell Street hostel in central London, and as part of the co-ordination of homelessness agencies in London’s West End.

The era of passionate amateurs

This was the era of the heroic (and sometimes rather risky fight) against the “scourge” of homelessness, as people saw it.

Many of the workers at Mungo’s and other homelessness projects were very young, and with pretty basic training and support. There was a buzz and an energy about, but it wasn’t in any way professional, more the province of passionate amateurs. Common sense was probably the most important protection we could enjoy, and as everyone knows, common sense isn’t always that common.

Homelessness was different too, with a larger proportion of clients – “punters” as we called them – being white, middle aged, men who were “street drinkers”. Many of them were Scottish, and we understood that St Mungo’s had been named for the great Glasgow cathedral of that name as a nod to those origins.

Keeping in touch

Things moved on of course, and so did I, first to the Refugee Council then to the housing regulator, with which St Mungo’s was registered as a housing association, and next to the National Housing Federation, St Mungo’s trade body. By then, John Lane, the second Chief Executive after St Mungo’s colourful and energetic first founder Jim Horne, had retired, and the third CEO Charles Fraser had taken the helm.

Over the years, I’d stayed in touch with St Mungo’s, and had from time to time attended Board meetings and dealt with regulatory queries. I knew all along that St Mungo’s wasn’t the same as other registered housing associations, and needed a bit of a tailored service itself.

So when I rather nervously set up shop as a housing consultant and waited for business to trickle in, I was especially pleased and relieved the first time the phone rang, and it was Charles Fraser, asking me to come and work again with the Board, and even offering to pay me for the privilege! That was in 2003, and since then, I’ve been proud to have been able to support St Mungo’s more directly on a range of projects.

One continuing theme has been the one about housing regulation, and making sure that the organisation can comply with the government’s rules, which have been designed for much simpler housing associations whose clients have less complex histories than some of those at St Mungo’s. Most recently, we’ve been helping to review the organisation’s housing services.

Tackling problems on a new scale

Looking back though, I’m astonished and in awe at the journey St Mungo’s has made over the four decades I’ve known it.

The days of the passionate amateur are long gone. The days of easy funding are also long gone, while homelessness has become more complex, more diverse and even harder to solve against a backdrop of austerity.

Back then, if you’d asked, I wouldn’t have believed that homelessness on any scale could still be with us as 2020 approaches. In fact, I’d have predicted that St Mungo’s would have been pretty much out of business by now, for all the right reasons.

In the 1980s, if St Mungo’s hadn’t come into being, hundreds of vulnerable people would have had even harder lives. Now that number is tens of thousands in a year, and growing.

That has to make me angry on one level, but also proud to have played a very small part in the story of St Mungo’s so far. I have to hope you won’t need to be around in another 50 years’ time, but I sadly suspect that you will.

Our 50 year history is filled with some extraordinary people. To mark our anniversary, we will be profiling 50 Lives throughout 2019 – a snapshot of those who have played their part in our story. You can read the stories on our website at www.mungos.org/50-lives.

Maz’s story

After being separated from her mum and then her sister as a child, Maz was drawn into what she describes as “a world of addiction”. Eventually she ended up sleeping rough in London, where St Mungo’s outreach teams were able to help her get support.

Two years on, she has completely transformed her life. Maz looks back on those experiences and describes how much things have changed. This is her story.

Lee’s story

Lee was homeless for 26 years. With the help of St Mungo’s he became determined to change his life. Today, he is volunteering with our Westminster outreach team and teaching trade skills at our Train and Trade service. This is his story.

I was homeless on and off for roughly 26 years, which I was told might be something of a record by housing staff.

I left home at 17, but I was extremely vulnerable and susceptible to abuse. I squatted in a five storey building with a group of guys but they took advantage of me, used me, beat me up and forced me to beg for them.

I managed to escape and went to a night shelter for a bit and I then moved to shared accommodation in Balham.
I was terribly lonely and never saw anyone.

I spent more of my time on the streets than in the flat on my own. I wanted to be free and actually felt safer on the streets. On the streets I was my own man and didn’t have to follow any rules.

Drink was my enemy

I left school at 16. Drink was my enemy and my biggest problem. I also took drugs – anything I could get my hands on – crack cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy, acid. On top of that I had a gambling problem. I drank from the minute I woke up until the moment I passed out. I had 10 to 15 cans of lager, or sherry or wine every day.

At times, I was drinking so much I actually begged my probation officer to send me to prison to get a break from it but they refused.

It was a vicious circle. Every time I drank heavily I ended up in prison. I was jailed nine times for drink offences, drugs and burglary. I was sent to several rehabs and detoxes but nothing worked.

I lived on a prison boat

In 2000, I was sent to Weymouth to live on a prison boat for eight months after being convicted of burglary. I think it was the only prison boat in the UK. It was for inmates getting ready for release.

Conditions were very cramped and overcrowded. I had to share a tiny cabin and shower. When I was released I started drinking again.

St Mungo’s helped me get sober

I was sleeping rough when St Mungo’s outreach workers contacted me. I couldn’t even talk to them as I was so paralytic with the drink I could barely stand. But they came back the next night and persevered with me – and thank God they did.

They put me in touch with other agencies to help me stop drinking. I was sent to detox and finally it worked. I will never drink again. It doesn’t bother me anymore. I don’t take drugs either.

I’ve been sober since 9 March 2016. That date is etched in my mind. I know if I have just one more drink I’ll be back on the streets, back in prison.

I started volunteering for St Mungo’s

I had no skills before I did the course with Train and Trade. They taught me lots of practical stuff like painting which I was really good at.

Unfortunately, I developed tennis elbow so now I teach students skills like painting, plumbing and changing locks.
I also volunteer with the outreach team in Westminster. I went out with them 14 times in one month recently helping to get people off the streets. I find it so rewarding.

I will never be homeless again

Now I work with outreach teams, I see what they’re dealing with every night on the streets.

Through St Mungo’s my life is so much better. I’ve come so far. It’s brought structure, stability and security and I never want to lose that.

I’m applying for paid jobs with St Mungo’s. I know I can do it, I have the experience, I’ve lived the life, and I’ve been there and done it, so I can share that with others. I have a one bedroom flat in West London and I’ll never go back to being homeless again.

Richard’s story

Photo of Richard Boyce Endsleigh Gardens, Camden

When Richard found himself overwhelmed with health issues, including a rare medical condition, it took a big toll on his mental health, eventually making him homeless. Staying at our Endsleigh Gardens hostel in Camden has helped him rebuild his life. This is his story.

In 2017 I got a rare type of pneumonia. So rare they want to write about me.

Before that I’d lived with my parents for well over 15 years, in their lounge. Then I left and went to live with a partner. But when I ended up in hospital, and everything started going wrong.

The pneumonia was bad. They say I might even be the first person in the world to have the symptoms I had.

But while I was in hospital with that, they found I also had a blood clot in my kidney. They couldn’t decide how to treat me – one department wanted to do one thing to help my kidneys, but the people dealing with my lungs wanted to do something else.

I ended up losing my kidney. That, the pneumonia, and then getting told I had a chronic condition that meant my other kidney only was only working at 30% – it was a really difficult time.

I had all these scars from the operations. They made me feel really self-conscious. And splitting up with my partner as well at the same time made it too much.

That year I took three overdoses. I went into a mental health unit where I was sectioned and that’s where I started drinking.

When you have depression, alcohol is really no good. But I struggled trying out all the different medications – we got there finally, but the process of getting there was really hard.

Once the medication started working, I moved into Endsleigh Gardens.

Since moving in here, the biggest change is my appearance. By that I mean – before, you just wouldn’t have seen me! At first I wouldn’t even come out of my room. I used to stay in and drink. Around six months after I moved in, I came down at night for the first time and someone thought I’d only just arrived.

But the staff here are always lovely, always sorting things and asking if you want to do things. My support worker, Maria, seems like she’s won the lottery every day. Always smiling.

I tell her things I didn’t think I would tell her – or anyone. Before I kept everything bottled up and that’s where the depression came in. It would just build. She’s so friendly, you just open up.

Once I some of my things went missing. Before, I wouldn’t have said anything. I would’ve let it all pile up, become too much, and overdosed or something like that. But I told Maria. Things like that, it’s real. I can really open up.

Eventually I went to a residents’ meeting where we decide what things we’re going to do. We go to theme parks, go karting – but personally, my favourites are the museums and galleries. I love art.

Now I have so much going on. I’m a Client Rep, we’re off to Brighton and maybe Paris later in the year and I’m training to do the Ben Nevis Challenge with St Mungo’s.

I mean, I couldn’t ask for any more from the help that I’ve been given.

It’s been so nice but I’m hoping to get my own place.

I miss my possessions – I collect art and have loads and loads of paintings. It’d be great to have them up in my own place.

We’re in the process, me and Maria. I’ve done a course in coping on your own, dealing with depression, stuff like that, and we’ve filled in nearly everything now. Maybe six months ago, I don’t think I would’ve been able move on but now I’m ready to take the next step.

Onwards and upwards.

Photo of Richard Boyce climbing Ben Nevis — Richard climbing Ben Nevis, September 2019

Gerry’s story

Gerry became homeless at 17 after suffering abuse. He has also survived attacks, alcohol misuse, illness and adversity. After turning his life around, Gerry, 53, is now a project volunteer, peer digital champion and locum worker at St Mungo’s. This is his story.

If I’d carried on drinking, I’d be dead

I left home at 17 after being abused as a child by a family member for about seven years. I turned to drink and drugs. I wanted to escape – escape the abuse, escape my own head, escape my life.

If I’d carried on drinking, I’d be dead. At my lowest, I was drinking a litre of vodka or brandy every day. I’d drink eight or nine cans of lager or bottles of wine. On top of that I’d take drugs. I was self-medicating every single day.

My brother died at the age of 45 with liver failure and it could easily have been me if I hadn’t got help from St Mungo’s.

I bunked off school until I was caught by the truancy officer but no-one ever asked me why I was going off the rails.

At 17, I bought a train ticket to London and just took off by myself. I only had a few coins in my pocket but I knew if I stayed near my abuser, one of us would wind up dead.

I was drugged and attacked when I was homeless

I was homeless for about five years in the 1980s, mainly around London’s West End. That was one of the worst times of my life.

I slept at train stations, on benches, on the streets, anywhere I could.

I was terrified and bewildered. I really thought I was going to die. I was drugged, attacked and raped repeatedly. I didn’t complain to anyone, I just got on with it. Who could I tell anyway?

I regularly sold my body because I was so desperate for money. I took my life in my own hands every day and I never knew what was going to happen. That’s why I carried on drinking and taking drugs because I had no hope, no reason to live. I didn’t want to think and the bottle stopped me thinking.

In 1990, I was diagnosed with HIV, but I had no help to deal with it. It was simply another trauma I dealt with on my own.

In those days I thought a HIV diagnosis meant I would die but they gave me medication to control it and it got better over the years.

St Mungo’s saved my life

I contacted St Mungo’s in October 2017 – on the anniversary of my brother’s death – but it took me three attempts to get the help I desperately needed.

I went to Hackney Recovery Services twice, but turned round and walked away as I just couldn’t face it.

Thankfully I plucked up the courage and I haven’t looked back.

They introduced me to different activities every day, such as mindfulness, sport, talking group therapy, Abstinence Emotions and creative writing.

For the first time I was able to talk about the abuse I suffered as a child. I’d never spoken about my emotions before; the fear, the anger, the pain, the rage, the frustration. I got it all out.

I had 14 months of healing and it’s honestly the best thing I’ve ever done. I would urge people in similar situations to do the same.

I’ve made lifelong friends and we go for a run, or play badminton or tennis instead of having a drink.

Volunteering at St Mungo’s gave me a purpose

I wanted to help people like me so I started working with St Mungo’s as a project volunteer. It’s given structure to my life and a reason to get up. I almost leap out of bed but not quite as I’m getting on a bit! At the age of 52 I finally found my purpose in my life.

I was asked to become a Digital Skills Tutor which boosted my morale no end. I’m not a genius at IT but I had taken a couple of courses and I wanted to share my skills. I’m now a peer digital champion at the Recovery College.

Some of the people who’ve been in prison have never even come across a mouse so I show them how to set up an email address, fill out forms and help write a CV.

I can relate to the people I teach because having experienced abuse, homelessness and addiction – I know what they’re going through. Homelessness can happen to anyone.

I’m now paid to work at St Mungo’s!

I’ve just secured paid work as a locum hostel worker at St Mungo’s. I’m doing that part time so I can still run digital sessions at the hostel.

I’m looking forward to getting my first pay packet and feel really proud of what I’ve achieved. It’s a testament that I’m still here – lots of people I knew didn’t make it.

Since I went through the doors of Hackney Recovery Services, I haven’t touched a drop and I’ve no interest in drinking ever again.

It was the greatest decision of my life to seek help from St Mungo’s and I’m in the best place of my life. I’m one of the rare lucky ones to come out the other side.

Stephen’s story

After working abroad for 15 years, Stephen came back to the UK and found himself homeless. He recalls his time sleeping rough in London. With support from our staff at No Second Night Out and Staging Post, Stephen has now found part time employment & a place to call home. This is his story.

Andrew’s story

Photo of Andrew Cook, St Mungo's Support Work in Bristol

Andrew is a Support Worker in Bristol. He draws on his own experience of 13 years sleeping rough to help others. He walks us through his journey and remembers Vince, the amazing support worker who never gave up on him. This is his story.

I was speaking to a client the other day, asking him about his time sleeping rough. He explained where he used to bed down and I said I knew it. He couldn’t understand how. I told him that I had slept rough in London for 13 years. And all of a sudden there was a little bit of connection.

In my twenties life was good. At 28 I was a home owner, I’d been engaged for years, working in sales, company car – the lot. Partying had always been a part of my life, but it felt like that was the same for everyone. I didn’t realise at the time but slowly my drinking took off.

In quite a short space of time I ended up losing my job, my fiancé left me, the company car went back and the flat was sold. I found myself with lots of money from the sale of the flat, and no responsibilities. So I just partied.

By the time I was 29 I was skint and living in a dingy bedsit. I fell in with the wrong crowd and started using drugs.

I started to move around a lot. I thought that if I went to a new town, things would change. I didn’t realise that I was taking myself with me.

I ended up homeless in London. London is a really hard place to be homeless when you’re new. You feel like just another homeless person – a statistic.

There were lots of great people that I came into contact with from St Mungo’s, but Vincent Adams stood out – he was a larger than life character. He was my support worker at quite a few hostels. He was also on the outreach team and when I was sleeping rough at Euston he used to come down and see me, take me for breakfast, and just check how I was doing.

He was always there. Every time I messed up he never judged me. His favourite saying was “when there’s life there’s hope”.

I’d been up and down so much, for so long, that if you had asked anyone they wouldn’t have believed that I could stop using drugs. But Vince thought I could, he could see something in me that I couldn’t see myself.

Vince took me on my last journey out of London to Weston-Super-Mare to a rehabilitation centre. Part of me thinks that if Vince hadn’t taken me on that train, there’s a chance I might not have got there.

A few years later I went back to the hostels to say hello to everyone there. They couldn’t believe it was me. I wasn’t the angry, desperate man that I once was.

When I was there I saw an old friend – we had slept in doorways together for years. As soon as he looked at me he burst into tears, because what I had, he wanted. Nine months later he was in rehab. Seeing me gave him this final push to do it.

Now we have great lives.

I started as an apprentice for St Mungo’s and Vince became my friend. I used to go and stay with his family. They opened their house up to me as a friend. That, now that was just priceless.

When I was rough sleeping I used to push back against Vince, and all these brilliant people at St Mungo’s. It makes me laugh because now I’m the member of staff. I can never be angry when my clients kick off, because that used to be me.

At the moment I’m supervising an apprentice. I’m hoping to, in the future, do our Steps into Management programme. I want to represent lived experience higher up in St Mungo’s to influence how we work.

The people that I’ve met on my journey with St Mungo’s – from volunteering, becoming an apprentice, working at Crisis House and now for floating support – are some of the most amazing people. They will be lifelong friends.

I don’t know what it is about people that work for St Mungo’s, they’ve just got something about them – this drive to help others.

I was asked to speak at Vince’s funeral. He died at the age of 42.

I spoke about his values, his drive, his never give up attitude. It was hard to keep it together.

I used to say to Vince, “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here”. He’d reply by saying, “I didn’t do anything – it was you that did all the work”.

A couple of weeks ago I saw one of my clients. I’d supported her when she was in a really bad place, using drugs. After a lot of work she agreed to go into rehab. I’d taken her all the way there, to make sure she arrived.

She walked over with a big beaming smile, she was brimming with life. She thanked me for everything I’d done. I just said, “I didn’t do anything – it was you that did all the work”.

There will always be a bit of Vince in everything I do.