He contacted the Salvation Army, who found him a place in a hostel. At first, after sleeping underneath his van, the hostel – with a room of his own and a private bathroom – felt like a blessing, but soon the chaotic nature of hostel life took its toll on Barrie. He stayed there for five months, until he was offered a room in a shared house at Restore. From the moment he moved into our property, it felt like home. He bonded instantly with his fellow housemates, whom he describes as “true friends” and still sees most days, even though they’ve all moved onto their own tenancies now.
The support he’s received at Restore helped him to mend relationships with his parents and his children, and he now speaks to them regularly. He has some issues with mobility, so it was a long wait to find a ground floor flat for him, but he finally moved to a place of his own in supported accommodation earlier this year. At first, he was overwhelmed by the amount of space he had, and spent the first six weeks basically living out of just one room until he adjusted. Now though, he feels really at home in his new flat and is excited about plans for the garden when the spring comes.