Growing up it was just her and her Mum, and Ellen’s Mum had been a huge support for her, but it meant she hadn’t learnt to do much for herself. When her Mum started to have her own struggles, it left Ellen very alone and where she looked for help she didn’t find it.
“I got treated like a child. I don’t know what I’d have done without Bardsley – I didn’t have a clue”
When Ellen was referred to us, she said she really appreciated the proactive contact and being given choices. First off was a couple of phone calls, and then she was offered a one to one appointment. Ellen was nervous to come to the building at first, but we let her know a time when it would be quiet and she wouldn’t see anyone else, to make her feel comfortable.
To start off Ellen received support with her council tax and housing benefit, she learnt how to fill out her benefits journal and was supported to make phone calls to begin managing her situation. When a meeting with housing enforcement took place, we attended with her and give her advice. She told us “I wish I’d been taught in school how to look after a home and bills”. With some support Ellen was eager to learn how to manage her bank account and finances.
When Ellen was moving into a new flat that she rents privately, we were able to check over the property and make sure everything was in place and help her get white goods – but now that’s something she knows how to do too. Ellen also suffers with anxiety and depression, so sometimes it’s really hard to get out of the house.
Through the one to one support she receives, Ellen is encouraged to come in when she’s feeling low and Bardsley can still facilitate a quiet time for her when she needs it. She says she really appreciates having help learning how to have work conversations, and she’s been taught how to rationalise situations.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, you’ve been my rock, you’ve been there through everything…You’re my walking angels”
Ellen now has a young child, and it’s getting cramped in her bedsit – the facilities aren’t built for raising children and the bathroom has become a hazard. In private accommodation the housing benefit doesn’t stretch very far, and Ellen can’t afford anywhere bigger. Not having suitable housing for her and her child makes Ellen’s depression and anxiety worse.
“I’m lucky to have a roof over my head, but I feel so trapped… I can’t breathe”
With help from BYP, Ellen has applied for a two bedroom flat using Homefinder and she hopes soon she’ll be able to get some secure housing. She’s still working, but now she’s managing things much better and starting to feel confident about the future.
This case study showcases the support we provide here at Bardsley, the transformative impact of our work, and the strength and resilience of the young people we are so proud to work with. This story illustrates the preventative work we do at Bardsley Youth Project. We support young people experiencing homelessness crisis but also do support and preventative work for those living in vulnerable situations. We support our young people to find, secure, keep and equip accommodation. We want our young people to not only survive but thrive.
If you know a young person who is at risk of homelessness, perhaps they are sofa surfing or at risk of eviction. Please point them in our direction. They can access our Young Persons digital information hub here: https://www.bardsleyyouth.org/young-person-s-hub. All the information on this page is designed to be accessible to young people.
If you or your business feel your would like to request paper information about our project to display or give out you can do so here: https://www.bardsleyyouth.org/request-leaflets. It’s simple, the more young people who know about us, the more likely they are to know where to go if they or their friends find themselves in a vulnerable housing situation.
