Running a marathon has been a lifelong ambition. Guess what I will be doing on Sunday ….

One of my lifelong ambitions has been to run a marathon.  As a young man, many, many years ago, I was a keen runner but never managed a marathon.  This Sunday is the Brighton Marathon, and guess what?  I will be cheering from the sidelines in support of James Danks who is running on behalf of BHT.

James is a recovering addict who just one year ago to the day started a detox programme that has changed his life.

James said: “It is amazing to think how far I have come. Just one year ago I was drinking a litre of vodka every day and spending £40 a day on heroin. I was in such a bad way and I knew that things had to change quickly or I could die and leave my sons without their father. I couldn’t let that happen and it was that thought that gave me the strength to get clean and to change my life for good.

“I was offered a place at BHT’s Detox Support Project, something that I thank my lucky stars for every day. I truly believe they saved my life. They have been so supportive and have helped me to deal with some deep rooted issues that have helped me with my recovery and are helping me every day to live a life of abstinence.”

James is not new to running events having completed the Brighton Half Marathon in February of this year in memory of his late wife Zoe and to raise money for BHT.

For the first time since his teenage years, James has a new found hope and plans for the future.

He said: “Exercise and keeping fit has played a huge part in my recovery so it is really nice to be able to combine my new found love for fitness with raising money for BHT. It’s great to feel like I am giving something back.

“I feel confident about the run on Sunday although I know it is going to be tough. Every step of the way I will be thinking about how far I have come in the last year and all of my new and exciting plans for the future.”

Anyone who would like to sponsor James can do so by clicking this link or by contacting Liz Davies on (01273) 645425.

How does the Work Programme actually work ….?

A client of BHT was put on the Work Programme. She said it prevented her from moving forward in her life. She was required to do newspaper and online searches for jobs, three hours a day. She said she received no training and could not talk about her support needs. She said she became increasingly stressed and had nowhere to turn.

She then heard of BHT’s Intern Programme. Our Intern Co-ordinator, Rob Robinson, negotiated with the Work Programme provider that she be able to do a placement through the Intern Programme. Her support needs were identified, as were the skills she had, and a placement was made available for her at our Advice Centre in Queens Road where she was encouraged and appreciated.

Within five to six weeks her growing confidence was noted. She absorbed the learning opportunities made available to her, and she thrived on the culture and work habits. She was encouraged to become more involved with the work and was valued by her colleagues.

She began telling Rob Robinson: “I can do stuff” and “Someone might want me to work for them”.  Through her own efforts, without being forced, she looked for jobs, received training on CV writing and interview skills. She was successful with the first job she applied for, and is now working in a private solicitors practice in Brighton.

Each year BHT commits £40,000 of our charitable funds to the Intern Programme, and this is matched by £35,000 from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Depending on how long she stays in work, the Work Programme provider will receive between £10k and £13k. BHT will receive nothing.

Real Life Stories from BHT’s Crisis Response and Support Services

This is the fifth in a series of contributions from BHT clients.  This post has two contributions from clients of our Response Services that comprise three separate and distinct services – Crisis Response Service, BHT Rough Sleepers’ Initiative and Support Response Service. All are funded through Housing Related Support (SP).

The first is a thank you letter received from a client:

“I really would like to say ‘Thank You’, for all of the help that you have provided me with. It’s been quite a stressful period, being evicted and becoming homeless and I know that without your help … I would not have dealt with the problem very well at all; I do fully appreciate everything that you have done for me and continue to do with your team at BHT, and, also, appreciate that without your help I would certainly have become street homeless. There’s no way that I can repay any of you for all the help that you have given, but I really do want you to know that you have been an essential part of overcoming my housing problems and needs and that I am so very grateful. So, thank you, so much, again”.

The second is an account of an 83 year old.  It shouldn’t but I am still taken aback when I hear of someone of this age in dire need:

C came back to the UK from the Canary Islands aged 83 and partially sighted to be near her family, after having sold her house to pay for medical bills when her son became ill and had no insurance. Any money she had left was then stolen by her grandson, who was addicted to heroin, and had gained access to her bank account. This left her with no money and she was not allowed to claim benefits initially because she had none of the necessary proofs, particularly where the money from the sale of her house had gone. She ended up sofa-surfing and sometimes sleeping on a camp bed at her sister’s. The Council found her a privately rented flat but hadn’t realised there were issues regarding her access to benefits.  We worked with her to prove that she had not spent or hidden the money herself and made the case to Housing Benefit and the Pensions Service so that she could eventually get her rent paid and have money to live on. We also kept the landlord informed about what was happening and arranged for the rent to be paid directly to the landlord when she got it. She is still waiting to hear about a grant for some furniture, but has been given essential items by members of her family.”

Real Life Stories: Wayne’s Story

This is the fourth in a series of posts that record the experiences of men and women who have used one of BHT’s various services. In his own words, this is Wayne’s story:

“I’m born and bred in Brighton, lived here all my life. I felt very lonely, isolated and scared as a child and was abused sexually and in other ways. I grew up distrusting life and people in general. My progression into drugs and drink was very fierce and full on. Age eight I tried glue and gas. This then spiralled into dope, speed, acid, ecstasy, crack, drink and then heroin. I spent a total of 34 years in active addiction. My needle fixation was extreme as was all of my addiction.

“I spent a total of nine years in and out of prison due to committing crime to fund my addiction. Also many trips to hospital intensive care units, overdoses, fits, seizures, collapses and a coma.

“After trying to get clean many times through BHT’s Detox Support Project over the last eight years, I finally managed to get my recovery after completing a two and a half month detox at Detox Support Project in January 2011 and then spending eight months at the Recovery Project. The support I’ve had has been fantastic, and the staff team brilliant. My keyworker Anne at the Recovery Project I hold dear to my heart. Words cannot describe how much she helped me.

“I have a strong recovery now as I have a 12 step programme in my life. I mentor a client at Detox Support Project and also do lots of volunteer work there and at Recovery project. I’m coming up to one and a half years clean, completely free from addiction and I have a life not just an existence. How lovely to be able to give back what was freely given to me from Blythe and her team. God Bless.”

Real Life Stories: David’s Story

This is the third in a series of posts that record the experiences of clients of BHT.

“David was made redundant after being employed by the same company for years. He was unable to find employment and couldn’t keep up with rent payments for his private rented accommodation.

“Having never been in this situation before, he was not aware of claiming benefits and he exhausted his redundancy pay. Within the space of four months David found himself street homeless. He was sleeping rough, usually in the tunnels underneath Brighton Pier or empty phone boxes or the shelter at Brighton bus station.

“He was very vulnerable and was subjected to assault, robbery and hate crimes. This had a dramatic effect on both his physical and mental health and he was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety.

“David was referred to the Accommodation for Work project by First Base. He attended weekly one to one sessions with his project worker and they developed an Employment Plan. The project supported him to complete two part time I.T courses. David decided to do these courses to open himself up to a wider job market, increasing his chances of securing employment.

“The project referred David to Business Action on Homelessness, and he completed a two week work placement. The management of the company was so impressed by his hard work, ability to learn quickly, and positive attitude, that he was offered a full time permanent job straight after the placement. David continues to work there full time.

“He saved up enough money for a deposit and first month’s rent and he has secured his own private rented tenancy.

“In a year, David went from rough sleeping, suffering from anxiety, and feeling very far away from his old life to having a new career, getting his confidence back, and feeling positive about the future.”

Real Life Stories: Sue’s Story

This is the second in a series of Real Life Stories, the experiences of BHT clients in their own words:

“I am at last writing to you to inform you of how Homeworks has helped me over the past 18 months.

“In September, 2010 I experienced a period of severe clinical depression which necessitated me leaving my job, and therefore the accommodation that was tied to that job. I had minimal input from the Mental Health Teams despite two suicide attempts in a week, but I was given a Homeworks leaflet.

“On contacting Homeworks, I met Mandy, who instantly facilitated looking into my options. She linked me in with Housing Benefit and Employment Support Allowance, which was something I had absolutely no prior experience or knowledge of.

“I quickly moved in with relatives, after my landlady staged a break-in at the cottage I was soon to vacate, in order to encourage me to move out quicker than the four week notice period. I eventually moved in with my Mother, with my 2 children, to a rented house in Eastbourne and thanks to Mandy’s advice added my name to the tenancy which then permitted me to claim Housing Benefit, facilitating a level of independence. She also suggested applying for Disability Living Allowance, which was granted. I used the first payment, which was back-dated to September, to pay for a week’s respite at Forresters in Southampton, again Mandy’s idea, which was a really useful break.

“Mandy helped me to navigate the Mental Health Teams, which was something I just could not manage, and liaised between the acute and community services, which at that time did not appear to communicate, in order to find out where I was on the list for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and which list I was on; a list I had been added to at least a year earlier before I became acutely unwell.

“I saw Mandy weekly and provided a huge amount of emotional and practical support. She sorted out all my Benefit applications, which was further complicated by divorce proceedings and imminent sale of my part of the marital home. We used the Eastbourne Advice Centre on a number of occasions to clarify matters relating to Benefits. I would not have been capable of any of this without Mandy’s help and support.

“At this time Mandy also supported me through making a complaint to the NHS regarding the lack of mental health care I was experiencing. Having written to the NHS Trust and getting no reply, I eventually wrote to my MP, Norman Baker, detailing my experiences, who contacted the Trust on my behalf. Mandy and myself subsequently attended two meetings, one with an Acute Services Manager and one with the ‘Adult Mental Health Recovery Team’ Manager, and ultimately received a written unreserved apology from the Trust.

“Since contacting my M.P. the care I have received has been good, with regular support from a Clinical Psychologist for several months, followed by a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and regular follow up with a Consultant Psychiatrist.

“Again, Mandy’s support was instrumental in pushing to get the mental health support I needed, and which was not forth-coming until I complained. She helped me to stay calm enough to get my point across when I was finding everything very difficult.

“In March 2011, my Mother needed to move on and I became homeless. Mandy supported me through submitting a Homeless Application, which was accepted by Lewes District Council. I moved to a series of Bed and Breakfast accommodation, to Seaford for a weekend, to Jevington Gardens, Eastbourne for a couple of months, then to Hanson Road, Newhaven, for three months. Mandy supported me through all these moves, which were stressful, unsettling, expensive and a bureaucratic ordeal, as each move required a new Housing Benefit application, requiring new evidence etc. At Hanson Road, I managed to persuade the Council to allow my 2 cats to be returned to me, by supplying a “cat reference” and supporting letter from my GP, which again were Mandy’s ideas.

“At each step Mandy’s gentle insistence that all the options be looked at, gave me the feeling that I could make the decisions regarding my future, which was very difficult due to my mental health problems at the time. She facilitated my independence when I felt very low and unable to mentally juggle all the issues that were immersing me.

“In October 2011, I moved to a three-bed house in Newhaven, and am currently on a starter tenancy, with the full likelihood of going on to a secure tenancy. I have a house that suits my family’s needs, is affordable, and close to my children’s school in Seaford. Mandy’s support at every step of the way has enabled me to get to a point where I am again living independently and in receipt of Benefits that are enabling me to recover from my mental health problems.

“I cannot thank Mandy and Homeworks enough for the help and support that I received during a very difficult time. Without that help, I have no idea where I would be.”

Real Life Stories: Lesley’s Story

I often receive letters and notes from clients of BHT’s services that tell real life stories about how they have seen their lives changed by the support, advice and encouragement of our staff.  I am planning to publish these accounts, with the agreement of the individual concerned, on this blog. The words are theirs, not mine:

“I am a single woman who found myself homeless and unemployed due to a combination of circumstances, this was not something that I had expected or planned for.

“I found my way into your service by speaking to the Eastbourne Job Centre who advised me to approach BHT Eastbourne Advice, I was unsure of the processes involved but received help and advice from the receptionist who made an appointment for me to speak to the accommodation advisor.

“Within days I had a roof over my head and a support package provided by Firm Foundations and Homework’s that has helped me to get back on my feet.

“By having a roof over my head and the support of the organisation I have been able to achieve many of my goals, I am now self-employed and although not earning fortunes I am more independent financially and more confident for the future.

“I believe that the opportunities given to me by BHT have been life changing, I am now looking forward to finding my own accommodation in the private rented sector and rebuilding my life.

“I strongly believe in what BHT are doing to help the homeless and I am looking to become a volunteer with the Tenancy Centre to help other people.

“Thank you.”