Cameron was 16 when he first experienced homelessness. He initially sought help from the council but said delays and complex paperwork made it difficult to access support.
During this period, he stayed with his aunt while trying to navigate the process of getting support. He said, “I found the process really difficult as a young person, especially when it’s [feels] so overwhelming”. He also had to complete forms linked to parental responsibility arrangements, which he said added more pressure during an already unstable period.
Then, aged 17, he moved into Centrepoint’s supported accommodation, which he described as a turning point.
Alongside housing support, he received education and employment help, including tutoring in maths and English to complete qualifications. His key worker, Lee, helped him develop budgeting, planning and goal-setting skills to prepare him for living independently.
He said this guidance helped him stay focused during difficult periods. “You can’t stop now, can you,” he recalled being told, adding that the encouragement from Centrepoint staff kept him motivated and positive during times of uncertainty.
He was already working in restaurants and continued to build experience while studying, often balancing long shifts with learning sessions and coursework commitments.
In 2021, he received a Centrepoint Award, which he said recognised his progress and boosted his confidence. “I won the Career Progression Award, since I was able to overcome everything and not let anything affect me,” he said, describing it as an important milestone in his journey and future aspirations.
He now lives in his own flat and says the stability has been life changing, describing it as “a destination where I can come back and recover after work.”
Now working full-time as a chef, he continues to refine his skills in professional kitchens, learning from colleagues and experimenting with new techniques. He feels the job helps drive his long-term ambitions. One of these ambitions is to create budget-friendly vegan and gluten-free cookbooks for low-income households. He said he wants to make cooking more accessible and enjoyable for everyone by sharing simple, creative recipes using affordable, healthy ingredients.
Reflecting on his journey from homelessness to stability, he said, “Don’t rush into anything – you need to create a list of what you need to do and what you want to do. Without that you’ll become overwhelmed and think that you might never be able to do it. If you put your mind to it, you can always achieve it,” crediting the support he has received along the way.
Retired civil servant finds new purpose volunteering with Centrepoint
A woman who began volunteering with youth homelessness charity Centrepoint after taking early retirement says the role has given her renewed purpose and direction.
Gill, a former civil servant who specialised in HR, started volunteering with the charity four years ago after stepping back from work, saying she wanted to use retirement to do something meaningful for others.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to take early retirement, and I knew that I wanted to do something worthwhile,” she explained.
Gill also had a personal connection to Centrepoint, as her husband Patrick had been a long-term supporter before he passed away unexpectedly 10 years ago, just a few weeks after receiving a terminal diagnosis. He was deeply moved by one of their campaign posters he saw on the way to work and began donating regularly. Gill decided to “continue his support in his memory.”
Drawing on her professional and HR experience, Gill has coached and mentored young people through key life decisions, including helping one young asylum seeker choose the right engineering course that suited him best. “He said he would always remember my support, so that meant a huge amount to me,” she explained.
She said volunteering has added a new path in retirement and encourages others to consider it as a rewarding way to gain experience, meet people and make a difference.
‘We Can’t Do This Alone’
Last year, over 118,000 young people faced homelessness. That’s one young person every four minutes. At a time of life when most of their peers are trying new things and taking their first steps into adulthood, these young people found themselves alone and afraid, and unsure where to turn.
It doesn’t have to be like this, with the right support at the right time, these young people can escape homelessness or avoid it altogether.
At Centrepoint, provide more than a bed for the night. We provide a safe place to rebuild, support into education and work, and the confidence to believe in a better future.
Youth homelessness is not inevitable. With the right help at the right time, it can be prevented and it can be ended.
Our mission is to end youth homelessness – and you can help us.
Whether it’s running a marathon or holding a sleep out, you, your friends, family and co-workers can join our movement to end youth homelessness and give vulnerable young people a brighter future.
To find out more, donate or get involved, please visit our website http://www.centrepoint.org.uk/newspaper
‘A Permanent Base Changed Everything’
Housing insecurity left Adam, now 20, without a stable home through his late teens and early adulthood, as he moved between sofa surfing and temporary arrangements.
He said first-time housing with a friend was costly and unsuitable, with limited income making long-term stability impossible. He was constantly moving and unsure where he would sleep, saying, “I started sofa surfing and [moving between] accommodations.” He often carried a suitcase to work while trying to keep his job. Colleagues assumed he was travelling or on holiday, unaware he was homeless. He said the suitcase masked his situation, making it less visible to others.
Finding affordable accommodation was also challenging he explained, “Finding a place in London as an 18-year-old, [when you are] not making that much is impossible. Some places wouldn’t allow an 18-year-old to live there – finding a place was really difficult.”
Not knowing where to turn he confided in a colleague who suggested Adam contacted Centrepoint. The youth homelessness charity secured a space in one of its Independent Living homes, where rent is capped at a third of tenants’ income. Since moving in 18 months ago, he has improved his finances and even begun to plan a holiday – something that once seemed out of reach. He now works in marketing and says a permanent base has helped him focus on his job and ambitions.
Looking ahead, Adam is seeking a role that offers challenge, progression, and collaboration, adding that stability has given him the space to think about his next steps.
