Meet Geoff

Geoff moved from Restore into his Council tenancy a couple of weeks before we interviewed him. Before this, he lived in Restore accommodation for 18 months. He is delighted with the stability he’s been able to achieve during his time at Restore and he appreciates all the support he received.  Having been homeless twice before, he was caring full-time for his Mother in her rented property until she died. He found himself street homeless two weeks after her death.  He turned again to drinking a lot of alcohol and substance abuse until he found himself in a very dark place.  

“I never want to go back there. It has taken me a long time to get back on my feet and Paddy has had to ‘give me a kick’ (metaphorically speaking) a couple of times. I had a cycle accident when I was very drunk and woke up in hospital with a fractured leg bone and a broken shoulder.  Ben (my Restore housing support worker) and the hubs have helped me to be more responsible, to budget and to get through my health struggles. I want to work again.”

Geoff worked as a gardener for 17 years and has been enjoying gardening again. He’s discovered that he enjoys cooking and has learnt some good recipes during his time at Restore. He has no family members to rely on for support, so the friends he has made at Restore are like family to him. He feels respected and this has helped him regain his confidence.   Geoff plans to continue to attend the Restore community hubs and realises how important it will be for him to go out to see people.