Customer Stories

Stepping Stone Projects helps more than 800 homeless people every year. With our support, our customers have overcome significant obstacles and achieved some amazing things.

Here are some of the real stories of our customers and colleagues.

Step Forward Hyndurn

KD suffers with anxiety and there have been days where KD has said how his anxiety has taken over due to appointments or meetings he needs to attend, or even just to go to the shops.

When anxious, KD starts to shake and sweat then cancel meetings or appointments.

KD has recently started taking walks, and actually enjoying them. He had also previously starting to eat less and has lost weight, saying he feels good about himself.

Last week KD attended the bike maintenance course and was given a bike to keep. This has given him a new lease of life and has been out on it most days.

Both of these new activities are massive steps for KD that put him way out of his comfort zone.

KD has also rebuilt the relationship with his parents that had previously broken down, and has even started taking their dog for a walk! He has also regained some telephone contact with his son, who remains living in Poland, after a period when their relationship had also broken down.. His son has just completed his exams and KD is incredibly proud of him.

KD has recently filled in an application form to volunteer at Maundy as a driver and is waiting for a response.

His progress is amazing!

SFH customer - KD

Young People Forward Project

JB has struggled with having the confidence to socialise, meet new people and has never felt confident in building relationships.

JB says: “My worker at Stepping Stone has encouraged me to get involved with the Young People Forward Project. It has helped me feel more confident and I have been getting out of the house more and going on a weekly walk. I’ve really enjoyed it and feel more comfortable talking to people. Stepping Stone staff are so kind and they can’t do enough to support me”.

The Young People Forward project uses the power of physical activity to improve the lives of young people facing homelessness. SSP have been engaging our Young People in East Lancs with a weekly ‘walk & talk’ session and it is really helping some of our more isolated young people build up their confidence and improve their physical & mental wellbeing.

LDH customer - JB

New start

I have spent 18 years in the town flats in Rochdale. During this time, I was on the 17th floor.

I was subject to harassment from other neighbours and as my health issues increased over the years. I became more and more isolated and vulnerable.

When I was offered a place at one of Stepping Stone Projects I was really happy to be moving from the town flats.

Since then I have settled into my new home and feel really happy with the support I have received from Mari and Stepping Stone.

I feel safe and very happy with the community here and I love my home here.

Anonymous

New home, new job!

This young man came to SSP as a homeless young person, he had been sleeping rough in a car and also spent some time in a charity which provided a bed for him in a church, along with adults a great deal older than him and with some complex needs such as substance misuse. He was very scared at times and felt like he would be easily influenced in going down the route of taking more serious substances.

He received a wakeup call and wanted to escape the negative peer group pressure and start to turn his life around.

He was referred to SSP at the age of 19 and was very appreciative of the chance he had been given but unfortunately had developed friendships with people who took advantage and led to a couple of incidents within the first few months as he was struggling to manage his own tenancy. This unfortunately put his home at risk due to the number of breaches and damage to the property.

However his support worker recognised that he was trying to turn his life around and decided to give him a fresh start by moving him into another SSP property with guidance and support to monitor his doorstep and who he had visiting to stop the same problems from re-occurring.

Once settled, he was proactive in looking for work and within 3 months had started a new job in a warehouse.

Anonymous

Safer Communities

I am a 48 year old male and have spent the majority of my life in and out of prison.

Since Stepping Stone Projects became part of my life they have found me accommodation, they gave me a head start.

I have my name down for a property, I have seen doctors for my mental health issues, had help with my benefits and also have a brilliant worker who goes out of her way to help with all the obstacles in my way.

For the first time in my life I can see a future for myself without crime, a future which I am looking forward to and its all thanks to Stepping Stone and Trisha my Support Worker for helping me to get the head start I needed in life.

Thanks

Safer Communities Customer

Generic Floating Support

Homelessness referred me to SSP in May this year as I had been homeless for 2 years after I lost my home because my landlord wanted the property back. I have been staying with friends and family and also sleeping in a tent sometimes when I had nowhere else I could stay. I have had issues with alcohol for many years.

I had been offered a property with RBH and I needed to provide some ID quite quickly if I was going to be able move into this property, but I didn’t have any, my Support Worker looked into getting me a birth certificate but this was too difficult as I could not remember exactly where I was born.

My Support Worker spoke to a member of my family who I was visiting and they were able to help me get some ID from the Post Office and some benefit letters. I was then able to view and sign up for my new home. My Support Worker helped me set up a claim for benefits with Rochdale Job Centre who were also really helpful as I didn’t have a bank account. My Support Worker also accessed some furniture for my new home.

I am now living in my new home and coping very well thanks to help from Bruce and my family.

Rochdale GFS Customer