His relationship broke down and he was living in his car. Now he has a full-time job in customs export, his own computer and desk, he’s studying and he’s looking to move out of one of our move-on houses and into his own accommodation.
*This name has been changed to protect our guest’s’ identity
“I was working as a taxi driver when I became homeless. And then I’d been on and off with my partner before. So, I wasn’t sleeping in my house for a while, I’d been sleeping in other places. So then when we split, I was homeless after that.
I had to take care of the kids on the side at the same time. I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t have a place. I didn’t have anything and it was really hard. I wanted a place to stay, affordable, reasonable, which I could manage with my children in my life as well.
I felt like I couldn’t go to work because I couldn’t do my job as a taxi driver if my stuff was in the car. Then a lady at the Council’s emergency shelter told me, I could leave it there for the day. So, then I made some money for a little bit.
Then I got storage near the train station, so I was able to take just a few of my clothes so I could work every day. And then she told me she was going to refer me to The Shelter MK at George House in Stantonbury.
Nobody was going to wake me up and say, “Take your stuff and come back in the evening.”
The room was small, but I had a good bed where I could sleep, food, shelter and everything there. It was really good, especially at the beginning, when you don’t have anything and it helps relax your mind. There was too much stuff in my head. I was stressed out.
I got a lot of help from my support worker and other staff. We talked a lot. I used to come to the office in the evening sometimes and just sit with them and talk about life and everything.
I had no issues, until one day, when I had a situation in the taxi where I was carrying some family friends. I lost my licence for something I didn’t do. I didn’t know what to do. I felt powerless. It meant that I was homeless at the same time as being jobless at that moment.
I was feeling bad, and I couldn’t see my kids, so it was hard. Usually, when I was working, I could take them somewhere, pay a little bit for them to do things here and there.
I just sat inside in my room a lot at that time. I didn’t know what to do. I was so stressed out. My support worker said I was eligible to get something from the council, so he helped me with that. Then I got a job through The Shelter MK.”
The one thing about Aydin is that when he gets a knock, he doesn’t just sit around and wallow. He tries to find solutions to his situation.
He was trained and qualified as a nurse in Finland, and then came over to do the conversion to be able to practise in the UK. One of our volunteers used to practise as a nurse. So, she spent loads of time with Aydin trying to do the tests with him.
“But then I got an opportunity with the company where I’m working right now. My support team at The Shelter MK asked me to come and talk to some people who were offering jobs in customs export. It was good. They told us about their programme, their project, their job, and everything. It was interesting to hear about it.
The company trained me to get their licence, which I passed. Now I have a licence for export and import. They also gave us the opportunity to study more, to progress in life. Everything has been great, to be honest. Since I got that job, things have changed a lot. I’ve been happier.
I’ve been working with that company for a year now. They’ve been really good to me and the whole of our team. To me, especially. I’ve learned from not knowing anything about export to now being an expert on the whole thing. It’s really good to be doing well so that I can lead the team later on. That’s the plan.
And now, as we speak, I’m looking for a place to move. Because I’m trying to get somewhere I can afford, so I can live a better life and bring my children.
We used to get hot meals a lot at George House. I used to take whatever I needed from them, but I used to cook too. They made halal meals, so I used to have them. Especially the good ones, they used to come on the weekend. That was really good.
Life teaches you how to cook sometimes. I do cook for myself here (at the move on house) now. It’s a must because you have to prepare yourself for the next bit… when you live alone. So, you have to know how to cook, which is good.
I feel positive about the future, to be honest. I don’t have any negatives. Nothing is 100% in life. There should be some failures. There should be some ups and downs. But, at the end of the day, it’s how you take it and how you put yourself into a position to progress in life yourself.
“From our perspective, Aydin’s been a joy to support because he’s got such a positive outlook on things. We will always support him the best that we can because no one can try harder than he has over the years that we’ve been working with him.
It will be such a great shame to see him go, because it always is when you’ve built a good connection with a guest. It’s like losing one of the family.
But, essentially, it will be great to see him take the next step of his positive journey – and we’ll always be on the end of the phone or a text to support him if he needs us.”
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A retired dentist, a courier and a father. Hear how we’ve made a difference and helped these guests and former guests change their lives for the better.
Is a retired dentist
“I couldn’t have asked for a better support worker. She was outstandingly good with me. I could ask her anything and she was willing to go to the extra mile for appointments and advice. She was always available if I needed to speak to her. She would make an effort to spend time with me.”
Is a retired courier
“When I first arrived, it was great. I had a room on my own. I mean, it was small, but it was comfortable, and the food was brilliant. I enjoy staying in contact with people at The Shelter MK. If there’s anything that I ever need support with, I know they’re only a phone call away.”
Is a father
“The team always listens to you and that’s important. Because, I think, as men, we’re all individuals. I really want to come back to George House as a volunteer. I’ve spoken to individuals there and said, “You’re in the right place. These ‘mums’ in here will help you.”
* Names have been changed to protect our guests’ identity
