The week in numbers
Housing Crisis Team
36 Drop-in visits
6 New registrations
Supported Accommodation
34 1-2-1 Support Sessions
2 Assisted to maximise income
Drug and Alcohol Support
19 Attendee’s to drop-in sessions
22 People met during outreach sessions
The Story of Ahmed *
Ahmed is from Yemen; he fled the continuing violence, leaving his mother behind in the hopes of finding peace and a new life for them both.
His refugee journey followed a standard path, moving across the country from one Home Office accommodation to another until his status became official and the standard 28-day move-on process began (AKA notice to quit) while in Kingston.
Ahmed came to us as a bright young man, keen to become a valued member of British society, his high school diploma in hand and an excellent grasp of the language.
He was a perfect candidate for a tenancy in the Access Project, and during his first couple of months with us we were able to provide him with a laptop to assist him with his further education, options around employment courses and the administrative assistance to deal with a painful dental issue.
Things were settling down, and he stayed in regular contact with his mother, whose calls became increasingly distressed; she was in need of a hip replacement and couldn’t afford the pain medication.
We worked with Ahmed to find paid work that wouldn’t reduce his housing benefit and make the rent unmanageable, but to no avail. He reached out to his own network and was offered work in a supermarket in Liverpool.
At this point, he felt that taking the job was his only option to help his mother, and with the full knowledge that by leaving the project and staying with a “friend” he would be making himself homeless again, he moved.
We hope he’s kept his positive outlook and that his drive to work, support his family and build a life away from daily violence has not waned.
* name changed
