Paul’s story

Paul was homeless for most of his teenage years. He was helped by Shelter’s Ricochet project.

‘At 15 I got left living on my own when my mum went to live with my stepdad in the next village. I wasn’t ready to look after myself. At that age you just think about what parties you can have and what you can get away with. It was about having all my mates around and getting drunk all the time.

‘I had pretty much left school – I only went in when I was bored or lonely.

‘I had a paper round and my mum used to give me £15 a week pocket money. It all went on beer, cannabis, and junk food.

‘When I was 17 they repossessed the house and I was on the streets. I got drunk all the time so I could get to sleep easily. I was drinking three or four litres of cider a day, because it helps block a lot of things out.

‘I had no stability, no job, no qualifications.

‘Rotherham’s peer education project helped me get back on my feet. They helped me find accommodation and trained me to go into schools and tell young people about homelessness.

‘The kids I see ask me what it was like when my mum left me alone. I tell them it was horrible. You don’t know where you’re sleeping one night to the next. And there’s nowhere you can point to and say ‘that’s my home’.

‘Thanks to the project, I am about to get my first qualification – a BTEC in peer education. I have some hopes and ambitions for the first time.

‘I have my whole life ahead of me; it’s time to start living it now.’

Homeless children miss on average up to a quarter of their schooling.

Names have been changed to protect anonymity. To protect the identity of our clients, models have been used in photographs.

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