In a recent study, Centre Point revealed that COVID-19 has had an adverse effect on young people and highlighted that more than 121,000 needed support in 2019/20 because they were or at risk of becoming homeless. This was on top of thousands of young people who were already facing homelessness before the pandemic, who now faced an even greater challenge on their journey out of homelessness.
Like customer Tam who was living at a boarding school and previously in care, who came to us for homelessness support before the pandemic. We moved him into one of our community properties and provided tailored support.
He had big ambitions and was determined to study at college with plans of one day becoming a firefighter. He enrolled in college to study Health & Social Care but started to struggle when the stay-at-home order was put in place. And found it hard studying from home. He didn’t have a laptop to access his course material and was struggling with his mental health.
This led to Tam dropping out of college, but Development Coach Jason was determined to not let the pandemic affect Tam’s bright future.
“I wasn’t going to let the pandemic stop Tam from achieving his dreams”, Jason explains.
“I did all I could to help. I asked my colleagues at Honeycomb Group if they had a laptop they could donate, and someone did! He was so chuffed, and it meant he could carry on with his course.”
Jason gave Tam the tools he needed to carry on with his studies, but the help didn’t stop there. He also helped with his mental health too. As Tam explains: “I’d be lost without Concrete!”
“Lockdown hit me really hard. I wasn’t taking it well, and I didn’t know how to talk about it. I found it difficult to speak to the people in my life because I knew they would judge me. But Jason didn’t. He was just there and listened to me when I needed it most.”
“The team helped me to overcome so many obstacles that were in my way. They’ve helped with my mental health, boosted my self-esteem, and on top of that gave me the tools I needed to carry on with my studies.”
“Jason’s helped me to live my life and achieve my dreams. I’m finishing college in three months, and I’m excited about the future.”
With the right tools and support, Tam’s future now looks solid. Once his course is over, we can’t wait to help him find his dream job and help him continue his journey out of homelessness.
Are you a young person at risk of homelessness?