After years of instability, 21-year-old S finds purpose, belonging, and hope through rugby, community, and SHOC’s ongoing support.
S grew up in care and has no contact with his mother. He left his last foster home aged 21 as he thought he could make a life for himself.
S found himself without anywhere to live as he had run out of sofas that he could crash out on. He managed to reach out to one of his old Social Workers and she brought him to SHOC for support.
When we spoke to S to register him for a service, he stated that he was feeling suicidal, that he hated himself and felt he was a disappointment to everyone. He felt sad and alone and could not see any future for himself.
We contacted our Rough Sleeping Team, but it was late in the day so rather than S having to sleep on the streets we paid for him to stay in a local Travelodge over night. We were concerned about how vulnerable he was and knew that he would not manage a night outside. Fortunately he was placed in bed and breakfast the following day by the Local Authority.
S continued to use SHOC and he worked very closely with Rob. He shared about his time in local authority care and how he was not taught any independence skills or how he would manage when he left the system. He felt nobody cared and that he was not valued or loved. Over the weeks his mood gradually improved and he said he felt that he was a ‘part of SHOC’, that he belonged and that people really did care about him. He said he was feeling much safer and stronger and he was no longer sad or alone.
One of our regular volunteers is a Coach at Slough Rugby Club and he encouraged S to come and try out for their team. He took him along and he was found to have a natural talent for rugby.
We referred S over to Trinity as the B&B was pretty poor and there were some other people in there who were battling addiction and mental health breakdowns.
S was accepted by Trinity and recently moved into a room in a Slough house where he is now getting support from Sam.
S continues to go to rugby training each week and play matches at weekends. This again has done wonders for his self-esteem and self-confidence.
S states that he wants to continue working on his mental health and to apply for a passport as he would like to travel to Thailand and Japan and work abroad.
S says that if he hadn’t have found SHOC he believed that he would have either been dead or rough sleeping and been scared, depressed and lonely. He reports that he is in the best place he has ever been in his life and is positive that his future is going to be great.