As a teenager Jo was forced to leave home, where she was suffering emotional and sexual abuse.
“I was 18, living at home with my mum, my younger brothers and my stepdad when I went to university. However, my stepdad was quite abusive, it was emotional and sexual abuse.
“I got to the point where I thought ‘I can’t do this anymore’. I reported the abuse to the police, my stepdad was arrested. It made things really difficult at home and my relationship with my mum deteriorated. She said I should just go, leave.
“I had to go and live with a friend, and we had to share a bed. I completed two years of the degree course but my mental health was a mess. I felt so low, I just could not deal with being at uni anymore, so I left.
“After that I was living with another friend, who had a pull-out sofa bed. I was living on Universal Credit and spending the days job hunting. When the pandemic started, I could no longer stay with my friend so I got in contact with Nightstop.
“I was really nervous about staying with Nightstop for the first time, wondering what the hosts be like. They were so nice. I couldn’t believe how nice they were. I didn’t think people could be this nice. I got there, we had dinner at 6pm, together. I slept really well the first night, it was dead comfortable.
“My plan is to get a job, and find somewhere to live, privately. A little one bed flat would be good.”
Nightstop UK is a national network of trained and vetted volunteer hosts who open their doors to young people. When we refer a young person to Nightstop, they are in crisis, often facing a night on the street.
Depaul UK run Nightstop, a national network of trained and vetted volunteer hosts who open their doors to young people. When we refer a young person to Nightstop, they are in crisis, often facing a night on the street.
