From Homelessness to Belonging.

Last winter, 18-year-old Sam was brought into one of the shelters in our network by a member of the public who had found him cold, wet and shivering under Kingston Bridge where he had been rough sleeping. He had been staying with a friend and attending Kingston College, studying for A Levels in Maths, Physics and Computer Science, when his friend unexpectedly asked him to leave. He had nowhere to go.

Sam was reluctant to go with the stranger but eventually agreed, and arrived at the shelter frightened and in tears. The team explained that they could offer him a warm, dry bed and hot food, and he started to relax a little. He was so exhausted and frightened that he couldn’t eat that night, and fell straight asleep.

Sam slowly settled into life at the shelter and began to open up about his life. With no family to care for him, he got up each day at around 4 am to study before school, and then returned at the end of the day to eat, chat with the other guests and go to bed early. On Sundays he attended a local Church.

When the shelter closed at the end of the winter, the team was able to find him a room in a shared house close to his school, and he is now a completely different young man to the one who first arrived at the shelter. Smiling from ear to ear, standing tall, confident, and happy, he is enjoying his life, his room and the company of friends.

🌟Housing Justice supports over 125 shelters across England, supporting them to access funding and training, implement best practice and set up wrap-around support services.

👉 Can you make a donation to support this work?
https://housingjustice.org.uk/christmas-appeal-2025/christmas-appeal-2025-donate

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