Emilyn – If I hadn't come to Centrepoint, I probably wouldn’t even be alive today

Emilyn was 17 when her father threw her out of the house after a violent row. Continuing a pattern that had started when she was 14, she stayed on friend's sofas until the council placed her in a B&B. With no knowledge of income support or crisis loans, Emilyn had no money and often didn't eat for days. Suffering with depression, she dropped-out of college and began smoking cannabis.

After two-months of being homeless, Emilyn was referred to Centrepoint by her local council. After an initial assessment she moved into their hostel in April 2007.

"I wasn’t doing much when I got to Centrepoint, I had no confidence and I just stayed in my room all the time", says Emilyn. "But a sailing trip with Centrepoint to the Isle of Wight changed things. Being away from my normal life gave me space to think. In that week I stopped smoking cannabis and decided I wanted to focus on college and work for my future."

"When I came back to Centrepoint I did cooking and budgeting workshops and learnt to be independent. They were really supportive. There’s always someone from Centrepoint in the hostel 24 hours a day and having someone to talk to made all the difference for me."

Accommodation, support, confidence and skills

Over 80,000 young people will experience homelessness in the UK this year. Centrepoint work with young people like Emilyn to provide accommodation and support, build confidence and teach people the skills they need to live independently. 

Leoncha Leavy, Centrepoint's Participation Manager, explains: "When a young person arrives at Centrepoint they are assessed. We bring services together in one place by working with our health team and looking at employment, training and education with our learning services.

"We have a volunteer service, providing young people with mentors to support them to get back on track and we also have the Centrepoint Parliament which gives young people a voice, both within the charity and central government.

A two-way dialogue

"It's very much a two-way dialogue, working with young people to help them get the support they need and ensuring everything we do is youth-led. We see an incredible transformation in young people. Not only have they sorted out their life but they also frequently return to give something back through peer-to-peer support programmes and the work of the Centrepoint Parliament."

As Emilyn continued to be supported by Centrepoint, her confidence grew. In December 2007 she became a youth educator, responsible for training other young people in schools and staff at organisations that work with young people at risk of homelessness.

Emilyn is in her final year at university

Emilyn returned to college and moved into her own flat in January 2009. She is currently in her final year at university where she is studying psychology and is the captain of the netball team.

Emilyn adds: "I’ve recently worked with Centrepoint as a Policy and Participation Assistant which gave me the opportunity to speak at events and conferences. Those experiences made me decide that when I graduate I want to become a clinical psychologist and help improve access to mental health support for young people. 

Everything I’ve done at Centrepoint has grown my confidence and I haven’t looked back – it is the best thing that ever happened to me. If I hadn’t come to Centrepoint, I wouldn't have finished college and I certainly wouldn’t be at university. I probably wouldn’t even be alive today."

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