Blaise's story

When Blaise, 24, had to leave his family home, he had nowhere to go and was forced onto the streets. During the pandemic he was referred to Single Homeless Project and he's started to turn his life around.

We helped him find accommodation, get qualifications and rebuild his relationship with his family. Today he is living independently and working his dream job in a boxing gym.

“You just can’t believe that it’s happening to you and that makes it almost dreamlike – well, more nightmarish. Those first few days when there is no home to come back to at the end of the day just don’t feel real. Is it really happening? Surely someone will come and pick me up. 

“But there I was on a park bench. I didn’t sleep the first night. Your senses are heightened and the new environment is so threatening. You just have to wait for morning to come and then try and find somewhere to stay again the next night.”

After Blaise, had to leave his family home, he relied on his friends for a warm meal and a space to stay but when that wasn’t an option, he was forced onto the streets. It was a dark time for the 24-year-old from East London, who found himself without a safe place to go.  

"I found it really hard to get the help I needed. People think you can just go to a hostel or your local council, but they don’t take into account that hostels have long waiting lists and councils have bands and priorities that have to be met before they can help a single person like me. I was in a state of limbo for a long time until the pandemic hit and I got emergency accommodation from the council."

Blaise was then referred to Single Homeless Project and things started to change.

"Single Homeless Project went the extra mile. Not only did I have a roof over my head and at least two warm meals a day, most importantly, they put me in the right direction.

"I thought they would just move me on, get me a place, that’s it. But they gave me so much more - emotional support, helping me get fresh clothes, food.

"They also told me to keep my head up. To never forget to keep my head up because I was there, I was doing everything I had to do. I always used to walk in with my head down like life had already defeated me. Not anymore."

"Sometimes you can’t always be real with yourself off the bat. You need someone else to tell you that your potential is greater than what you’re giving yourself credit for. That's what I got from Single Homeless Project and I'll always be grateful."

Today things are very different for Blaise. He lives independently in a home he feels safe and secure in, works his dream job in a boxing gym, and has rebuilt his relationship with his family.

"I have my own place and I’m stable. I’m just so happy with life. I’m so content with everything I have and I really couldn’t ask for more. I wasn’t that person before the Single Homeless Project. They’ve unlocked a part of my brain for me to keep moving forward. I feel I can be a beacon of positive hope for someone else now. I’ve never felt that way about myself before ever. 

This winter support Londoners like Blaise out of homelessness