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John, 28, a regular client at the Broadway Centre, Shepherds Bush

"I want to do something with my life, like volunteering in hospital, visiting people who don’t have anyone to visit."

Janet, 33, a resident at Broadway’s Manor Place Hostel, Southwark

"The best thing though is just having a roof over your head. Once you are more settled within yourself, you can achieve so much more."

Isaac, 45, a client receiving ongoing support from Broadway’s Floating Support Scheme

"I can call at the offices in Camden any time, which is good to know. Bernie, my support worker has kept on helping me, he doesn’t leave me to fend for myself. He comes to see me regularly."

Skye, 31, a resident at Broadway’s Manor Place Hostel

"I like the people and the staff. I get on with people here and you can sit down and talk."

Emma, 32, resident at Broadway’s Market Lane Residential

"I want to stop drinking and taking drugs and just get settled. I’m 32 now and I’ve just had enough."

Terry, 60, resettled in his own flat

"Slowly but surely they will help you break through your problems, but it is a slow process."

John, 28, a regular client at the Broadway Centre

For John, who is disabled and has mental health problems, Broadway’s Centre is a lifeline. He comes to the centre every day to eat a hot meal and sometimes to help clean tables. But most importantly it’s where he feels he’s amongst friends.

He spent two and half years living on the streets – a place he found violent and frightening – before Broadway found him a place in a hostel and then a flat, where he continues to get help and support through the centre.

"This place is brilliant, he says. I know everybody in the room. If they send me a form from the social I don’t understand, it really gets me uptight, but the mental health worker here will help me fill it in. If it wasn’t for this place I think I would have gone down hill"

Now, with some stability in his life, John is keen to put something back. "I want to do something with my life, like volunteering in hospital, visiting people who don’t have anyone to visit."

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Janet, 34, a resident at Broadway’s Manor Place Hostel

Janet has been in Manor Place, Broadway’s hostel for women, for almost a year. She arrived back in England in 2001 after three years in prison in Peru. Without a place of her own, she stayed first with her family and friends and eventually moved in with her partner, who was an alcoholic. Lacking long term security Janet’s life became increasingly unsettled and she found it difficult to reintegrate in England. As a consequence her relationship with her ten year old son was severely disrupted. Janet became homeless and began to seek help from the housing association in Peckham which referred her to Broadway’s Manor Place hostel. She is pleased and thankful to have a more permanent place to live and her support worker has also arranged for her to have counselling.

"Since I’ve been here I’ve met so many different people. The activities and outings give you the chance to get to know the other people that live here. The younger girls here need a lot of care, and of course there are always the odd few that make it difficult to get on. The atmosphere depends on the people, but generally it’s cool. The best thing though is just having a roof over your head. Once you are more settled within yourself, you can achieve so much more."

Where do you hope to be next year?
"Hopefully in my own flat! I also want to be working. I got myself onto a college course to get the qualifications I need to become a support worker. I like listening to people and making them feel better about themselves."

What did you have for lunch?
"I cooked it myself in my room. I’m trying to do a healthy eating thing so I had couscous and lentils".

What is your favourite possession?
"My bible. I’m so into this stuff. In times of trouble it’s always there for me".

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Isaac, 45,a client receiving ongoing support from Broadway’s Floating Support Scheme

Originally from Ghana, Isaac trained as an accountant but was forced to leave his job due to mental health problems. With his illness undiagnosed Isaac struggled alone and finally, after suffering several severe episodes of illness, he was referred to Broadway through the Brent Mental Health Scheme. A Floating Housing Support Worker for Broadway provides Isaac with emotional and practical support, including advice on benefits, property maintenance and mental heath advocacy. It is this type of support that enables people like Isaac to manage and maintain their homes and prevents them from becoming vulnerable to homelessness.

"The good thing about Broadway is that it’s not like other organisations. It’s an open house. I can call at the offices in Camden any time, which is good to know. Bernie, my support worker has kept on helping me, he doesn’t leave me to fend for myself and comes to see me regularly. He helps me with my bits and pieces: my benefits, my hospital appointments and house stuff. He comes to see me every two weeks. I have also been able to get some IT qualifications through Broadway."

What is your favourite possession?
"It used to be my car, but it’s broken down. So now it’s my hi-fi. I listen to anything, but I like jazz, soul and blues".

If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be?
"I’d be Bill Gates, the head of Microsoft. It would be interesting to see what it’s like to live with that amount of money and intelligence"

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Skye, 32, resident at Broadway’s Women Hostel - Manor Place

Skye is 31 and came to Manor Place on 25th February 2003. She had previously spent two weeks in Broadway’s Market Lane Hostel, in Shepherds Bush and prior to that she had been on the streets from August 2002. After a history of abuse from home and with no where or no-one to turn too, the street was her only option.

Since arriving at Manor Place, Skye has felt safe and staff are beginning to help and support her. They have identified her various care needs and will be helping her with her problems, particularly acute is her mental health and learning abilities.

"I like the people and the staff. I get on with people here and you can sit down and talk. And there are activities. Things like the Healthy Eating lesson we had the other day. We made fish with eyes. I can’t eat something that’s still got eyes. So I sat and watched and laughed. I like the atmosphere here. It’s fun and it’s safe. I was attacked while I was on the streets so it’s good to be able to feel secure."

What do you most want to do?
"I’d like to do something with computers, so I’m doing an IT course here in the resource centre. I would still love to do something in the theatre, like acting, because you get to be somebody else for a change. It helps you to get things off your chest".

If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be?
"I’d be Libby, from Neighbours. She’s good at horse riding, and I like horse riding. She’s also just getting on with her life, and I like that".

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Emma, 32, a resident at Broadway’s Market Lane Hostel, Shepherds Bush

Emma first came to Broadway’s Market Lane Hostel in May 2002. Prior to this, she had been on the streets since she was thirteen years old. Since moving into Market Lane, Emma spent some time living in the training flats, which are on the same site as the hostel, but found this difficult and has since moved back into the hostel. If the move into an independent flat is too much, as in Emma’s case, then they are able to move back into the hostel to gain further support until such a time that they are confident about taking the next step. In this way, the site has been created for people like Emma who need a lot of support to make the journey from street to home.

"It has been good for me. I don’t know how much longer I would have survived on the streets. I was into crack and alcohol and I was in a bad way. My health was going downhill. Since I’ve been here I’ve started eating properly and I’m not taking as much crack as I was. Things are getting better. I like the people and the fact that there’s a relaxed atmosphere. There are no fights here. I like my support worker, Joyce. She listens and she takes my abuse. I also like having my own little room - I’ve got it quite homely at the moment and if I’m not in the mood for talking I can just go upstairs."

What did you do yesterday?
"Yesterday I was over at my friend Philip’s flat. He’s been here since I arrived and he had four us over for lunch. We made spaghetti Bolognese". "I want to stop drinking and taking drugs and just get settled. I’m 32 now and I’ve just had enough".

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Terry, 60, resettled in his own flat

"It’s not as easy to come off the street and walk into society, says Terry, speaking from experience. He was homeless for over 30 years and struggling with drug and alcohol addictions before seeking help from Broadway. Terry put himself into detox and with encouragement from is keyworker has been learning to live independently in a resettlement flat for the last 18 months.

"After years of mistakes its not easy, but if you’ve got a problem you just go to them, Someone even had to show me how to use a gas card. This is the stage where they see if you’ve got the confidence and willpower to make it. Slowly but surely they will help you break through your problems, but it is a slow process. "

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