Our impact - Inspiring Stories
At PBHA, we are committed to inspiring people to realise their potential, build on their strengths and achieve independence. Over the years we have enabled many tenants and participants to achieve greater independence.
Below, we share a few success stories from our current/past tenants & participants about how the support they received from us helped them realise their potential.
Mike’s Story
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Mike moved into a PBHA house in May 2020 following a period of sofa surfing and rough sleeping. He has a history of substance misuse, which he is addressing through a specialist drug and alcohol agency, and medication.
When Mike came to PBHA all he had were the clothes on his back. He had lost everything else when he was homeless. He became a PBHA tenant while on furlough from his full time employment, but he felt lonely and isolated although he was in a shared property.
Mike’s Recovery Coach applied to Cloudsley for a welfare grant, to help him settle comfortably in his new home. He bought clothes, shoes, and work boots with the grant, so he now has a few changes of clothes, which has improved his sense of wellbeing and self-esteem.
Mike also purchased a TV and a chair, so he can now watch TV in his room in comfort. This has reduced his sense of isolation, and helped him keep up to date with current affairs and coronavirus pandemic guidelines.
“Getting this grant has really helped me to set myself up in my new home. I feel less bored and lonely, and I am saving money because I am not going out spending money out of boredom. I have more confidence in my appearance. Having a few changes of clothes has made me feel much better, because I don’t look like a homeless person anymore. Thank you.”
Gary's Story
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Gary is a Black Caribbean man in his fifties. He had previously lived in Australia for many years, and on the day of his return to the UK a year ago suffered a stroke. While he made a complete recovery with his speech and regained some of his independence, he is still severely affected due to complications after a heart operation. Feeling isolated and lonely, he fell into a depression.
As he had only just came back to the UK, he had no opportunity to resettle in London and organise his new life, and his existence for the past 12 months has been about focusing on his recovery and attending medical appointments.
He was referred by his health worker to Peter Bedford’s Art classes at our Kingsland Hub. He is a creative person, loving art and needed an activity to get him out of the house and engage with his creative side as well as meet new people.
Attending the art sessions and meeting new people has enabled Gary to re-build some of his self-confidence. The art sessions that we run at our Make & Meet space are very sociable. The group of participants love sharing and talking about their experience and, as most of our participants have some kind of vulnerability or poor health condition, it is very inclusive.
The sense of loneliness among people with chronic illnesses is universal and Gary greatly benefitted from listening to other participants’ stories and engaging in a mindful activity.
Gary is also interested in support with digital skills and is keen to join the DIY for Beginners course. The DIY tutor has numerous years’ experience of devising highly personalised person-centred lesson plans for people with physical disabilities and/or mental health so this will be a great opportunity for Gary.
Jordan's Story
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Jordan moved into a Peter Bedford property at the start of August 2022. He was struggling with multiple debts, had no clear sense of purpose, and had not had his own home in many years. We were able to house Jordan in a newly refurbished, self-contained home in Newham funded by Social and Sustainable Capital, and the Greater London Authority. PBHA employs a Recovery worker who offers Jordan emotional, wellbeing and practical support to live successfully in his home.
In under a year, Jordan has shown extraordinary progress. He is now supported by Bonnie Downs foundation to repay his debts and is now managing his finances. He has also demonstrated an inspiring sense of motivation and personal growth and is currently volunteering for Newham Council in an environments and arts working group. He has attended and joined PBHA’s Repairs panel as a volunteer tenant participant as well as our most recent board meeting. Jordan is enrolled in a training scheme at Accumulate to deliver art workshops to people experiencing street homelessness, and recently delivered his first workshop in filmmaking, demonstrating great strides in his sense of self and purpose, and utilising his own adverse experiences to change the lives of others, from a place of lived experience. Jordan also participated in his first ever exhibition very recently, showcasing paintings and film. He has also just been offered a place to study fashion at Morley College based on his portfolio, which he has been building all year.
Jordan has made extraordinary strides to better his life, taken every opportunity that has come his way, as well as forging his own. Well done Jordan!
Li's Story
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Li is a young Filipina woman in her late twenties who came to PBHA following a stay in a refuge after experiencing and leaving an abusive relationship. Although the daily fear of abuse is now becoming a distant memory, she is still feeling unsafe.
When becoming a PBHA tenant, she was first given shared accommodation with 2 other female tenants however one of the tenants displayed a territorial and abusive-coercive behaviour towards the other flatmates which brought a lot of distress to Li as she felt she couldn’t get away from abusive people.
Luckily, after requesting a transfer to another accommodation, she was re-housed very quickly in another shared flat and is now very happy with her new flatmate and new living conditions and can concentrate on rebuilding her life - free from fear and abuse.
Her aim is to find employment as a library assistant; with no experience in that area and no professional qualification, while receiving employability support from PBHA and applying for jobs, Li is also working on developing employability skills; she has successfully applied to become a PBHA digital champion volunteer and after completing the online training and qualifying as a Digital Champion she is now delivering 1:1 sessions for the digital inclusion service.
Li has also assisted the computer tutor as a classroom-based Teaching Assistant. The tutor was very happy with her support and Li is proven to be dedicated, with excellent time management, good at building quick rapport with participants and good organisational skills. Not owning a personal laptop or computer, having only her phone with very bad Wifi reception at home; Li has now access to PBHA training laptop and is welcome to spend time at the Hub to complete and send job applications on a flexible basis.
As Li is willing to gain as much experience as possible and participate in professional volunteering opportunities, she has also helped with Volunteer recruitment fairs. She is a good communicator but also very keen to develop her employability skills through volunteering as much as possible. She is aware it is the way to increase her chances and enhance her CV to help boost her confidence when entering the job market.
Annette's Story
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Rosehip House, our collaboration with LDN London Disability Network and Islington Council, is a powerful example of what is possible when we invest in tailored, compassionate housing solutions. It is home to residents with learning disabilities, enabling them to live safely and independently, with the right support in place.
Annette has lived in Islington her whole life. Before moving to Rosehip House, she lived at Arlington Square and later at Hornsey Lane, sharing her home with two other tenants who now, live on the same floor as her. These long-standing connections have provided a sense of familiarity and comfort, helping her to settle quickly into her new surroundings.
Annette has faced many challenges, including the loss of several loved ones. Her remaining family, her cousins, remain important to her. Both have visited her at Rosehip House and expressed their joy at seeing how well she is doing in her new home.
Moving to Rosehip House has been a turning point for Annette, marking a new chapter filled with growth and opportunity. Staying in Islington was an important factor in her move, allowing her to remain close to her favourite places, one of which is Holloway Road, where she enjoys going out for lunch.
Since settling at Rosehip House Annette has thrived. The supportive environment has helped her build her independence and become more confident cooking and socialising. Rosehip House has provided Annette with a safe and nurturing home where she can continue to live in the borough she loves, maintain important relationships, and enjoy the activities and places that make her feel connected to her community. Her journey reflects the value of a supportive living environment in helping individuals grow, adapt, and lead fulfilling lives.
SD's Story
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SD recently moved into a PBHA property and suffers from a long-term health condition/ disability. He arrived hoping to find a community, as he had been shielding to protect a housemate in his previous accommodation, his family is not based in London, and his work involves cold calling strangers. SD is a very sociable person, so the last year was very difficult for him. He expressed that he had been feeling demotivated and hopeless about the future. Before lockdown, he attended some yoga classes and has tried to practice mindfulness. He explained that he has not been doing either and his only source of exercise is a short walk to the shop every other day. He talked about being self-critical and struggling to switch off the negative thoughts.
SD has been supported to rebuild confidence, discover his passions so that he feels more motivated and excited about the future, and eventually pave a new career for himself. SD has expressed that he already feels ‘lighter and brighter’ and has started to make plans for the first time in a year. He has started researching local yoga classes so that he can sign up as soon as they re-open. He is re-connecting with his love for writing and we are starting to think about ways he might be able to incorporate this into his plans for a new career.
SD has also shown interest in engaging with other PBHA activities such as Share and Connect; we are hopeful that we will be able to support him to grow in confidence and build a sense of community by connecting with others in our make and meet space.
Rupert's Story
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Rupert was first referred to PBHA in 2014 by an external agency where he was receiving mental health support and classes to improve his literacy. Rupert had done a carpentry course at college and found it interesting, so enrolled on a training course at the Workshop. He also became involved in our Supporting Makers programme, selling his work through Outpost.
Rupert has proven himself a skilled and innovative creator, crafting products from benches to colourful dice. He has progressed to become a volunteer in the Workshop, assisting our creative industries trainer Jonathan with preparations for the evening classes, and supporting the group in their learning. Rupert also helps with setting up exhibitions.
Rupert has thrived from the responsibility of teaching other participants and has reported that helping others has improved his mental wellbeing and his confidence. He also considers the opportunity to meet new people as one of the most positive aspects of being a participant at PBHA.
Alongside his work with Supporting Makers, Rupert uses the Workshop for his own projects, and has developed an expansive network of clients. Rupert has recently moved into his own studio flat, which will afford him greater independence. He is refurbishing it himself, a project that will undoubtedly be very rewarding and allow him to utilise the skills he has cultivated in a new context.
Ed's Story
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Ed has worked in tech and digital for about ten years and he wanted to start giving back to those in need during this pandemic. Ed works full time, but his employer is giving him time to volunteer for a digital inclusion project. He joined the Digital Champions team at PBHA a few months ago and his first participant was Brenda, an over 60’s woman referred by the East London NHS Foundation Trust.
Completely new to technology Brenda had a new smart phone, but didn’t not know how to use it. Brenda has several conditions and needed access to NHS group video calls and physio sessions. The invitation to the group is sent via email and she needed help to set up an email account and learn the basics.
At first, it seemed a challenging undertaking as the support was delivered over the phone and not on Zoom; but thanks to Ed’s excellent communication skills and patience, Brenda can now use Safari on her phone to open Gmail, reset passwords, receive and send emails safely and securely. She has praised her digital champion for his patience and kindness and she looks forward to her sessions and learning more.
Jamilla’s Story
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Jamilla is a 27-year-old asylum seeker who now has settled status and British Citizenship. She is diagnosed with low level depression and anxiety and lives in a Peter Bedford home in Islington. We assist her to sustain her tenancy and she lives in a self- contained property where she is responsible for all her utility and household bills.
Approximately 3 years ago, Jamilla secured a job, however, she was unfamiliar with the benefits system, and she did not inform Peter Bedford or Housing Benefit that she had started work. Jamilla then lost her job and did not set her benefits back up to pay her rent. She accrued significant rent arrears, as well as an overpayment debt with Housing Benefit, Council Tax and other debts. As it became clear to us that Jamilla needed support, Peter Bedford’s Islington Housing team helped her to reinstate her housing benefits, as well as to claim Universal Credit.
However, Jamilla struggled to meet her daily living costs, rent arrears and benefits repayments. This struggle increased significantly last year, due to the rising cost of living. Jamilla would sit in the cold in her home as she could not afford to put the heating on. She struggled to pay her arrears and buy food. She could not afford a bed though her own was broken.
Although Jamilla still struggles with budgeting, the support offered has eased her stress and anxiety, and helps her get through her day to day living more manageably. PBHA were able to help by referring Jamilla to a debt advice agency, who then assisted to provide “Breathing Space” for all her debts for 3 months. We also applied to the Cloudsley Foundation for a Welfare Grant for a new bed and a Cost-of-Living grant. Jamilla came into our Islington Hub as a ‘Warm Space’ and to access wi-fi whenever she needed to during winter. The Islington team gave her access to a telephone to call agencies during office hours, SIM cards with additional data for mobile internet use and regular foodbank vouchers.
Jamilla’s position has stabilised, and she is now more able to keep on top of her bills, and as a result her housing is more secure.
Julie’s Story
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Julie previously worked for many years as a paralegal in the city. However due to a sudden immuno-condition 3 years ago her health deteriorated rapidly and then she lost her job due to the disability/long- term health condition.
As her illness progressed, Julie’s capacity to be independent was diminishing. This, coupled with the loss of her job and identity, led to depression meaning she now had the additional challenge of coping with mental health issues.
Julie was living on her savings but they were almost gone; she always had hoped that she would have recovered and would have found new employment, as she has never wanted to apply for benefits. She had worked hard as a professional for numerous years to achieve a good income; this was part of her identity but by now she had also lost her home, she was living with friends and slowly losing all that she worked so hard for.
Julie used the local library on daily basis to access the Wi-Fi to do her job search, but local libraries only offer one hour per day of computer use, however it was at the local library that she saw a poster for Peter Bedford’s Observational Drawing sessions at our Kingsland Hub Make and Meet space; she wanted to find a free activity that would help her take her mind off the daily stresses of illness/unemployment/ job search/lack of finances and general sense of isolation.
Julie did not have any idea of what kind of organisation Peter Bedford was when she stepped into the Hub to attend the enrichment class. She came across as withdrawn and quiet, she also seemed distracted as she struggled to follow instructions. After the session, Kamye, the Training and Assessment Coordinator offered her an Information Advice and Guidance session. This session provided Julie with a safe space to reveal her situation without going into great details about her illness. She was able to express her distress, especially the struggles in finding another job and her current housing situation.
Courtesy of the Good Things Foundation, PBHA received computer devices to give to tenants and participants in the local community. The following week after attending the Drawing session Kamye offered Julie a tablet device so that she could continue online job search. Not only did the Drawing class provide Julie with an oasis of respite through an activity with mindfulness benefits, but she now also had the tools to continue with her online activities. She was also able to apply for PBHA accommodation. Julie’s spirits had been lifted and she became less withdrawn and more animated.