{"id":6265,"date":"2023-10-23T10:48:27","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T09:48:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.depaul.org.uk\/?post_type=stories&p=6265"},"modified":"2023-10-24T14:04:01","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T13:04:01","slug":"charlies-story","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/www.depaul.org.uk\/stories\/charlies-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Charlie’s story"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Charlie first became homeless at 16 years old when the relationship with his mum deteriorated. With nowhere to go, Charlie stayed in late night cafes and a bus station for safety, until he found Nightstop.\u00a0<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThe relationship with my Mum deteriorated when she lost my baby sister \u2013 I know it really affected her, but things went from bad to worse between us. She became difficult to live with. She was physically and emotionally abusive towards me and I was kicked out of home several times at 16 with nowhere to go. Looking back, I feel really hurt by the way she treated me, as I didn\u2019t do anything bad to make her act this way, they just wanted their own space, and were grieving. But I was upset by the loss of my sister too, and really, I just wanted to be with my Mum even when she was being unkind to me, it was still home, and better than being on the streets. But she didn\u2019t want me there, and to be honest, I wasn\u2019t really safe there anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe times she kicked me out I found myself on the street. I couldn\u2019t afford a hotel, so I ended up staying in a late-night caf\u00e9 as long as it was open, I also slept at the bus station, and to stay safe I tried to stay in places which were quite lively. I tried to find a safe place to stay when I could, like with friends when I wasn\u2019t too embarrassed and when the college realised something was going on, they would sometimes be able to find me somewhere, but this wasn\u2019t always the case and I didn\u2019t always feel comfortable speaking to them about my situation. Obviously on a weekend and in Newcastle city centre, the bus stop wasn\u2019t filled with the best people. But it was the only place that had cameras, so if anything happened at least there was CCTV to record it. I was always on high alert, and never got any sleep.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt so degraded, and looked untidy, so I was quite embarrassed about my situation. I was also really worried I\u2019d see people I work with or people I studied with, because they all live in the city.<\/p>\n

Charlie was placed with volunteer hosts in the community.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI found out about Nightstop after doing a Google search, I wanted to know if there was any support for me available. I reached out to them and they sorted me out the same day. I ended up using the service for a couple of weeks until social services found me somewhere else to stay more permanently, which meant that I could keep studying and working part-time in a restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a lot to thank Nightstop for, and the people who volunteer as hosts. I was so nervous to use the service at first and didn\u2019t really know what to expect.\u00a0 I was very shocked when I stayed in one of the volunteers homes the first time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I thought it was going to be really awkward because I was a 16-year-old lad, staying with absolute strangers. I had so many thoughts going around in my head, like What do you say? What are they going to think of you? Are they comfortable with you being there? Am I comfortable being there?<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the couple I stayed with were so normal, welcoming and friendly. I was shown my room, invited to have dinner with them and that was that \u2013 no expectations and nothing for me to worry about for once. It meant the world to me – I felt safe and relaxed, and I was able to sleep properly for the first time in ages. If I hadn\u2019t gone through Nightstop, I don\u2019t think I would have got the help I had from social services either.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lady I stayed with was a doctor and her husband was a teacher, so I realised they were just great people with kind hearts. Even after coming back from work, the woman was up and checking my bus route to help me find my way to and from college, I didn\u2019t ask her too, she just did it, I thought that was very sweet of her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s quite a scary thought for me to think what I would have done without Nightstop \u2013 honestly, I don\u2019t think it would have ended well. I was in such a dark place. Thank goodness I was able to get the support I needed though.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cNow I\u2019m 18 and have my own place, I also work full-time and have even had a holiday so things have really turned around. I\u2019m very excited about the future too. I studied performing arts because I\u2019ve always been interested in acting. It started as a hobby and a way to make friends when I moved up North. Acting also felt like a great way to become a different person and forget about things. That\u2019s why I fell in love with it. But when the pandemic hit, it affected my studies and mental health, so I didn\u2019t get the grades I was hoping for. However, l always keep an eye out for auditions and my ultimate goal is to start a theatre company. My whole experience changed my goals and now I want to work in theatre around social change and social issues. I think the arts can be a powerful way of showing social issues which can lead to greater public understanding of people who\u2019ve been in my situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment, I\u2019m working in the charity sector full-time. It\u2019s great to be in the sector that helped me at my lowest point, and everything I\u2019ve been through has definitely helped me with my job. It\u2019s also taught me that you never know what anyone is going through just by looking at them, so it\u2019s always best to be kind, never judge anyone and help others when we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

*The story is told in Charlie’s own words. An actor was used in the photography and film, and names have been changed to protect their privacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Hear from Charlie in his own words:<\/strong><\/p>\n