Kallum’s Life
I used to live in Northampton. I had just come out of school, I was 16 years old. My life wasn’t really going anywhere, I had become very withdrawn due to the circumstances I was living in and I wasn’t able to get the help I needed.
My oldest brother offered to take me and my other brother back to Gainsborough to get us away from a difficult situation. He could not put us up as he was living in rented accommodation and in receipt of benefits, so I became homeless. Thankfully I was soon after introduced to LEAP by my uncle who at that time lived in LEAP accommodation.
I ended up being in the same house as my uncle. At that time I was a different person, very shy and would not feel comfortable talking to anyone. It was helpful to have someone I could trust to help me.
The housing team have been really helpful. They have massively improved my quality of life and confidence in speaking up for myself. They have helped me access a workshop at Think2Speak and a couple of courses at CLIP. We even set up a group designed to help us actually have something to do in Gainsborough. We have been meeting over Zoom.
There are times when my mental health is very up and down. As an introvert, I could easily stay in my room and not have to deal with people, but I know that is not good for me. When I feel like that I know to reach out to my house mates or my Housing Officer.
Kallum’s growth
While Kallum still struggles with his mental health, I can vouch for how his confidence has grown. So much so, that 18 months ago, he put himself forward to speak to the Mayor and all the professionals who attended our AGM & celebration event at the HATS Community Hub.
“Jane, my housing officer, is helping me to sort out some paperwork and helping me with making some calls to sort out my ESA and sort mobile banking for me as I am not always certain what to ask for and at time loose patience. After only putting me on hold for five minutes I decide I am not waiting any longer.”
When asked what would be next for Kallum, he responded:
“I am not great at planning ahead and pleased I can talk it through with my Housing Officer. I do hope that one day I can like finally control my anxiety and depression then maybe I can get back into work and find a job working with animals, even if it were on a farm.”
When speaking to staff, Kallum’s housing officer added: “When Kallum first came to live at LEAP he was extremely shy and reclusive. We gradually built up trust with him and supported him both with his physical and mental health. Today, Kallum has gained much more confidence, built some good friendships with other residents, is actively involved in a local youth group and is happy to speak about his experiences. He still requires some support with his mental health, but in a much better position to not let that stop him moving to independent living.”
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