In April, LEAP launched a new social media campaign to share THIRTY case studies for THIRTY weeks, to highlight all the good work LEAP has undertaken in its thirty years of operation.
Listed below are the first five case studies highlighted within the campaign.
Have a read!
SP’s Story
How did LEAP help you?
I arrived at LEAP with just my clothes, my laptop, and my phone. When I got to the room there was new bedding and brand-new kitchen equipment – even a tin opener! There was everything I needed to settle into my new home. I kept looking at the room and everything that I had been given and I kept thinking that it was too nice for someone like me and that I didn’t deserve it. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was, I felt like I was in a hotel. The new bedding was so nice and comfy, that first night I had never slept so well in my life. I was really excited and was so happy that I had somewhere that I could call home and not be worried about being kicked out, I felt safe and secure.
Keith’s Story
How did you learn about LEAP?
I had a leaflet posted through my door from LEAP inviting me to a drop-in in 2022. At the group we spoke about the green spaces, the build-up of rubbish in the local community and the need for wheelie bins. We also spoke about LEAP’s advice service. I needed some help claiming benefits, so I made an appointment to see the community advice officer.
How did LEAP help you?
LEAP supported me to claim the benefits and to get a GP.
Without LEAP’s help I would have struggled financially. The community advice officer made the process easier and helped me through it. If I need any advice or help with things I know LEAP will help me.
BS & LR’s Story
What brought you to LEAP?
I was four months pregnant with my second child and found myself and my young family having to live with another family member in Nottingham. It was very overcrowded, and we found it very difficult with our 10-month-old daughter and me being pregnant.
I have family in Lincoln so we asked if we could go there, and Nottingham Council put us in a hotel for about a week. We liked being in Lincoln; my partner’s anxiety calmed down, as when we were in Nottingham he never went out unless he was with me or someone else.
Nottingham Council then moved us back to Nottingham and put us in an Airbnb. They said we could be there for up to three months and after that we would be in a hostel or another hotel. It wasn’t great, it was a shared house with some shared facilities, and it was up two flights of stairs – not easy with a little one in a pushchair and me being pregnant…
My mum knew someone that had been housed by LEAP and helped me give them a call. We applied and within a week we had an interview with a lovely lady called Sarah. A couple of days later we were in Asda in the café, and they called to say we could have a two-bed flat, I was so happy I actually cried. We moved in about a week later and we were so excited. We were given the keys on September 11th and when we walked in the flat I cried again… I’m blaming the pregnancy hormones!
How has LEAP helped you?
LEAP gave us a chance to have somewhere we could call home at last. They have helped us in so many ways. Our standard of living has improved, and it has helped my partner’s mental health because he can actually go out on his own now. We can have family over for dinner and sleep overs. My partner’s mum came to stay and this has really helped their relationship. LEAP have helped us become a family again.
What are you doing now and what does the future hold for you?
LEAP helped us to apply to Lincoln Council for a house – without their help we wouldn’t have done it as it was really difficult, and we are just waiting to hear about one now. My partner’s anxiety is so much better that he has applied for a job at a new place in town and starts soon. We have also been looking at nurseries for our girls so that I can also go to work. Our future is bright.
LEAP made us feel grounded, safe and happy, thank you to all the staff.
CR’s Story
What brought you to LEAP?
I got released from prison at the start of 2023 after 18 months inside. I went to the YMCA in Lincoln and was there for a couple of months, but I had some issues there, so I was forced to leave.
My Gran took me in, and I stayed with her for a couple of months but then she kicked me out. I moved to another area, but it only lasted a couple of weeks, so I came back to Lincoln and was homeless. I was working with a social worker, and they tried everywhere they could like the council in Lincoln and even out of county to get me housing, but they weren’t successful, so I had to live on the streets.
I was on the streets for about 6 months. I had no tent or sleeping bag for the first couple of weeks, so it was rough but then I managed to buy myself a tent and a sleeping bag. At the start of November 2023, I had an interview with LEAP in Gainsborough. I didn’t hear anything from them, so I called, and they said I was top of the list. At the start of December, I was offered a place that I could move into.
How did this make you feel?
This made me very, very happy as it was starting to get really cold, and we’d had snow. I was relieved and happy to be under a proper roof and to be able to look after myself again. Just doing basics like being able to have a wash, to cook and have a proper bed to sleep in made a huge difference to my wellbeing and mental health.
LC’s Story
What brought you to LEAP?
Growing up as a child I faced a lot of trauma and lived in and out of broken homes. We were always moving from refuge to refuge and were constantly unsettled. When I turned 18, I knew living on my own was the next step to independence and finding myself as a person.
I contacted Barnardo’s who then pointed me in the direction of LEAP. I was scared when I contacted LEAP; I didn’t know if I’d cope living on my own. But luckily, I was greeted by lovely staff who took on my worries and concerns and made it a priority to make sure I never felt alone.
How has LEAP helped you?
LEAP helped me realise that I was more than capable of living alone. I raised my sisters from the age of nine. I knew how to cook, clean and run a house. LEAP gave me the opportunity to put that into practice. With all the trauma over the years, LEAP helped me face some of my darkest demons and find strategies to overcome them. I will forever be grateful to the staff who always took time out to hear my voice when I was in pain.
What are you doing now and what does the future hold for you?
Since leaving LEAP, I’ve moved into my own independent property. I’ve also followed my heart and gone back into the childcare industry. I hope that in the next few years, I’ll be making a difference to children’s lives whose stories are like mine or worse.
Check back soon for the next FIVE case studies from our #30For30 campaign!