Martin was forced to make an impossible choice: accept a roof over his head or keep his dog, Co-zee. Refusing to abandon Co-zee meant spending more than two years sleeping rough. But through the kindness of local dog walkers, the support of Single Homeless Project and Martin’s determination to never give up, he and Co-zee finally found a place to call home. Today, he’s rebuilding his life, welcoming his children and grandchildren into his flat and looking forward to a future he once thought he’d never have.
No one should have to choose between a bed and their best friend.
But that’s the decision Martin faced when the only accommodation the council offered was in a hotel and wouldn’t allow his dog, Co-zee.
“I love her as much as I love my children. I wasn’t going to leave her behind.”
So, Martin packed up what little he had and headed to Valentine’s Park in Redbridge, where he set up camp.
What he thought would be a temporary solution lasted more than two years.
“I told myself it was a couple of days. Then it became a week. Then a month. After six months, it was like, ‘You know what? This is me now for the rest of my days.’
“I stopped planning how to get out and started planning how to survive. I needed enough wood to get me through the winter, enough blankets, and to make sure Co-zee was safe.”
An unexpected community
Co-zee didn’t just keep Martin company while on the streets. She introduced him to the people who would help them both survive.
“Dog walkers started noticing me because I had Co-zee with me. They realised where I was sleeping, and meals started turning up at my tent out of the blue.
“The first time it happened, I sat there and I cried. It really did restore my faith in humanity.”
As the months went by, dog walkers in the park became friends. They stopped to chat every day, brought blankets and duvets through the winter, and even cooked meals without salt so Martin could share them with Co-zee.
One moment has stayed with him ever since.
“It had been two years before I had a Sunday dinner. One of the dog walkers overheard me talking about it and, the very next day, she called me down to the park gate. She’d cooked a full Sunday dinner, wrapped it up in foil and brought it straight down to me while it was still hot.”
Looking back, Martin says those everyday acts of kindness helped him through the darkest chapter of his life.
“Without that little community, I don’t know if I’d have got through it. They saved me.”
The park rangers also got to know Martin. When they found his camp, he showed them the care he’d taken to build a safe fire and protect the park.
Realising he wasn’t causing any trouble, they looked out for Martin and referred him to our Redbridge outreach team.
Learning to trust again
By the time Martin met our team, he’d stopped believing things would ever change.
He’d lived in temporary accommodation since 1992 and spent more than 30 years bidding unsuccessfully for social housing. Even after becoming homeless, he says the council told him he was so far down the priority list that he’d all but written himself off.
“You get to a point where you think, ‘What’s the point?’ I’d been let down so many times.”
Then he met Isis from our Redbridge outreach team.
“Isis was tenacious. Once she got that bit between her teeth, there was no stopping her. She pushed hard for me.”
Martin says it wasn’t just her determination that stood out. It was the fact she never stopped showing up and never left him guessing.
“She’d come and see me every week. She’d always keep me updated, even if nothing had changed. Her communication was amazing.”
“Just getting a WhatsApp from Isis saying, ‘How are you?’ Knowing somebody was checking on me… that meant a lot. We got to know each other. She really listened, and that relationship really helped to move things forward.”
Home at last
After more than two years sleeping rough, Martin got the call from Isis he’d stopped believing would ever come: he finally had a place to call home.
If you'd told me this time last year that I'd have something like this, I'd have said you were lying. The moment I walked through the front door, I was just in disbelief. I couldn't believe this place was mine.
The kindness Martin found in Valentine’s Park didn’t end when he got the keys. The same dog walkers who once brought hot meals and blankets donated furniture and household essentials, helping transform his empty flat into a home. Many still pop by for a cup of tea and a chat.
Now that furniture has a new purpose.
“Just being able to have my family over here is like being a dad all over again. Having my kids and my grandchildren climbing all over the furniture, running around, playing with the dog… I never thought I’d get to experience that again.”
With Co-zee by his side, his family back around him and a community he’ll never forget, Martin is now looking forward to giving back. He hopes to volunteer with Single Homeless Project, helping others take the first steps towards rebuilding their own lives.
“If my story helps one person realise there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, then it’s worth telling.”
We’re so proud of you, Martin!
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