Metkel’s Story

Metkel worked as a chef and had ambitions of starting his own business. But when he fell ill, he was unable to work and soon became homeless.

He was faced with the challenge of rebuilding his life in the midst of a pandemic. This is his story.

“I first came to the UK from Germany ten years ago to visit some family and have a bit of a break. I saw there were better opportunities for me here, so I found a job as a chef – cooking is a passion of mine – and started studying business management at a London university. My goal was to have my own catering company one day.

I never could have predicted what would happen next, but sometimes things happen which are out of your control.

Last December I was working long hours in the kitchen. It was very stressful and one day I got sick. I didn’t have a proper contract with my employer, so I wasn’t able to get my hours back when I was feeling better. At the same time, I lost three uncles and an auntie in just one month. I was really down and at some point I just gave up.

After not working for a while, my landlord said he wanted the house back. One day I came home and he had changed the locks. That night I slept on the streets for the first time.

It was the middle of winter. I had two jackets on plus a sleeping bag and blankets to try to stay warm. It was freezing cold and raining and I had nowhere to go. I woke up in the morning feeling hungry – I worried where my next meal would come from.

Then one day someone from St Mungo’s Outreach team spoke to me and told me how I could get help. That was when I found hope.

I got a place at St Mungo’s No Second Night Out hub. It felt really good. I had somewhere warm to sleep, hot meals to eat and staff around to help me. It was a massive step up. I was there for about two weeks, but then the pandemic hit.