Sean was just 19 when he hit his lowest point. He’d left school with no qualifications, going straight into a job, but got heavily into drugs and became homeless. He spent the next five years moving between friends’ floors, squats and the streets, his life made more difficult by bouts of depression. He didn’t want support from Wintercomfort or other organisations. “I was living in a dream world with no idea and no interest in where my life was heading.”

Finally Sean woke up and decided that he needed to turn his life around. His younger brother was heading down the same path and Sean needed to be a better role model. “I overcame my addiction and found somewhere stable to live, somewhere I could feel part of the real world. Then I remembered how Wintercomfort had tried to help before, so I came back.”

Many hot breakfasts and warm showers later, Sean decided the time had come to battle his dyslexia. At Wintercomfort he was able to take English lessons and try some sessions with a volunteer Life Coach. The result: increased confidence and a sense of purpose.

Now 27, things are looking up for Sean:  he’s free from drugs and is back in employment. He’s three months into his apprenticeship as a Project Worker with Wintercomfort, continuing his English lessons and even thinking about dating again. “I never thought education was important, but now I want to learn. I’m learning every day.” Sean feels a career with homelessness and mental health charities beckons. “It’s all I want to do. I’m confident that I’m learning the right skills to help people.”

“Wintercomfort picks you up from the bottom and treats you like a real person. People guide you rather than just tell you what to do. I’ve taken control of my life. I no longer live in a dream world but one where the dreams are real and achievable.”