“I love what I do and I enjoy working in the homelessness sector. It’s an ever-changing and challenging environment, but it’s important work. I can’t imagine myself ever doing anything else!”

“We gave Ollie the chance to be a young person and make mistakes, all while keeping him safe and helping him develop into the adult that he is becoming.”

“A typical shift for me is very addictive. I use that word because when I’m on shift and helping people, I don’t want to stop. I just want to keep helping others in any way that I can.”

At Concrete, we believe in using lived experience to help people overcome struggles and start new chapters. Many of our staff, peer mentors and volunteers

“We appreciate all of our volunteers, but we really do value our student volunteers because they are also juggling their university work. This means that the time they give to us is precious.”

When Saira came to us in 2020, she struggled to control her temper and would often lash out at others. Like many of our customers, Saira had been through a difficult period and found herself out of education and without a job. She was also a regular cannabis user and found it hard to respect boundaries and follow rules.

“I think it’s so important to work with young people because they really are the future. We need to provide them with the skills they need to not only live, but thrive.”

We’re sharing the story of 32-year-old Concrete customer Marie, who has been supported by us since 2020.

This week we’re sharing the story of Concrete customer Shannon*, who has been supported by our young person’s service since May 2020. 

This winter at Concrete, we’re providing our customers with essential items and hearty meals thanks to £3,000 funding from Stoke-on-Trent City Council.