Date published: 28 September 2018
Fred was in hospital due to ill health, and had been sofa surfing and sleeping in his car after a relationship breakdown.
At the time we had a vacant flat at one of our local schemes, and Tracy*, who works for Stonewater, went to meet Fred as soon as she could.
Tracy confirmed Fred was in need of accommodation and found a suitable place at one of our local scheme’s. The vacant flat wasn’t fully ready for someone to move into, and it didn’t have any furniture. However, the doctors recommended Fred stayed overnight night in the hospital so they could monitor his health. This meant we could prioritise and complete the works in the vacant flat so Fred could move into it the next day.
The next morning, Fred was ready to be discharged. After calling Fred, as well as the local hostels, Tracy waited at the scheme all day so he could contact her.
At 5.45pm, Fred rang the office – he’d gone to his car to get some clothes, only to discover that it had been broken into, and his tools and stereo had been stolen. Luckily, when he arrived half an hour later at the scheme, Tracy was still there, and gave him the keys to the furnished guest room.
Fred stayed in the guest room for a week, during which Tracy put in an application to the Longleigh Foundation. She requested a £500 grant on Fred’s behalf - to pay for a new bed, mattress, bedding and fridge for the flat. Fortunately, another tenant was replacing their sofa, as well as other items that Fred could use for his new home.
Nine months later Fred is still living at the scheme, where he attends a computer and CV course to help him get back on his feet.
Fred is looking forward to moving out when he can, and is thriving - more than he ever has for a long time.
*We have used alias’s to protect identities.