“There was a big family breakdown – I was living with my son, daughter-in-law and their children, but my daughter-in-law decided that she didn’t want to be with my son any more. I paid the price – she threw me out.
“I lived in my car for two weeks, then I went to the council and they referred me to the 999 Club.
“That was my first experience of being homeless. It was almost heartbreaking. I have never felt so embarrassed in my life. I have always worked and paid my own way. I am not very good at asking for help.
“It was humiliating but then I realized that that is pride and pride gets in the way. Asking for help was only a good thing.
First impressions of 999 Club
“It was scary coming to the 999 Club. I didn’t know what to expect. I have never been in this sort of position before.
“It [the Night Shelter] is welcoming, but the experience is still quite frightening: you don’t know what to expect or who you will meet. You don’t know anybody.
“I found that quite tough. The first couple of weeks I didn’t speak much to anyone.
“I got over that. After the first couple of weeks I made, I suppose you could call them friends although whether or not the friendship continues after this situation, I don’t know. A lot of people you won’t see again.
“It is nice while you are here to have people you can talk to. We are all the same here, even if our reasons for being here are all different. That’s something none of us talk about here – no one pries. If you want to tell people your story, that’s your choice but you aren’t pushed into it at all.
“Sleeping on a mattress on the floor is not overly demanding but when you’ve got eight or nine people all doing the same thing, it’s uncomfortable. Getting dressed and undressed is always difficult.
“That’s why the [sleeping] pods [in the Night Shelter] have made such a difference. They give you privacy and your own space. It has improved my quality of life. Even though it’s not home, it’s mine [for now]. Nobody enters without asking me.
“This whole situation [of being homeless] has made me quite poorly, physically and mentally.
“I have had two heart attacks previously, so I have to take medication every day for that. The stress of my situation isn’t helping my health.
Help received while at 999 Club
“I have seen a doctor and a mental health nurse, which was good.
“I’ve had a problem trying to get benefits. I’ve applied but I haven’t received anything yet. I should have got paid two weeks ago but every time I call, I’m told it will be another couple of days, and there is no progress. [Update: Nick has now received his benefits money].
“I’m surviving on one meal a day at the moment.
“I worked in retail for 40 years and have only been unemployed twice.
“Everything from here is dependent on my benefits.
“It gets me down. I see people who were in here with me and are moving on, and new people coming in and I’m still here.
Lessons learned from 999 Club experiences
“I very quickly learned that homelessness could happen to anyone, whatever their circumstances. Every person here deserves to be treated as a human being but outside, they are not treated that way.
“Out on the streets, in public, people see you come out of here [999 Club]. They don’t say anything but you can see by their manner that they’re looking down on the homeless.
“People are so judgmental – they generally think homeless people are drug addicts or alcoholics. There are some, but it’s not everyone.
“I have to admit that I was also judgmental in the past, but this whole thing has really changed my perspective.
“I want something that I can call home, that’s mine and where I can shut the door. I’m not expecting Buckingham Palace – I’m quite happy with a room somewhere I can be comfortable and call my own, shut the door and forget about the world.
“I want that opportunity to pick up the pieces and start again.”
“When I get out of this situation, I want to find a way of trying to help people. That’s my aim now. That’s how much it has changed my thinking on it all. It is actually quite important to me that that is what I do.
“I want to give back somehow, for everything that I’ve been given. I feel like if I don’t do that, then maybe someone somewhere will have to go without.
“It’s not right that people have to sleep out on the street. Some people choose to, some people don’t feel comfortable in a place like this [Night Shelter] but everyone has the right to be looked after. Somebody needs to keep an eye out for you.
“It’s 2019 and we have got homeless people. There were 600 homeless people who died last year, sleeping outside. I can’t describe how that makes me feel.
“We are a third-world country as far as homelessness is concerned. A place like this [999 Club] is great but it’s not enough. We need to find a way to make this better.
“I’m grateful we have got somewhere to come every night, I’m grateful I’ve got a hot meal. Having spent two weeks living in my car initially, it isn’t hard to say thank you.”