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Andy’s Story
"I was 16 years old when I first got into trouble with the police; nothing major just a bit of petty crime. I would smoke cannabis but I was still able to hold down a job at a bakery. However after the death of my father, I never ended up going back. I started to use harder drugs to help me cope with the stress that I was feeling, but this became an expensive habit. I now needed to commit more crimes in order to fund it. Before I knew it I was 20 years old, homeless, jobless, addicted to drugs and sleeping here, there and everywhere.
I was sleeping in a shop doorway and it was freezing cold. I decided to light some cardboard to try and keep warm. Before I knew it the police and fire brigade were there. I appeared before court and was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison with an arson charge. Eight weeks before my release from prison I was introduced to the project worker from the OARS team at Urban Outreach. I was visited every Friday in order to see whether they could find me a place to live upon my release. We would talk about my worries and fears, but for the first time in 20 years I saw hope.
In October I was released from prison. I couldn’t believe it: for the first time when being released from prison I would have a place to stay. It would be temporary but at least it was a place that I could call home. OARS continued to support me with my benefits, bills, shopping and appointments with doctors and the drugs team. Over time things continued to improve and the following August I was moving into my own property.
If it wasn’t for OARS I can honestly say that I don’t know where I would be now. Now I am 33 years old, I don’t take drugs, I don’t commit petty crimes, I have my own tenancy, I have a girlfriend and my future looks good."