Claire* came to Barnabus with her partner in March 2021. She had recently found out she was pregnant and needed somewhere safe, warm and dry to sleep. They were both rough sleeping after having fled violence and modern-day slavery. 

One of our caseworkers immediately flagged Claire as a high priority and managed to secure a hostel room for the pair. Tragically, the respite from her months of hardship were short-lived…

 

A critical moment

After weeks of rough sleeping and mounting stress, Claire's partner accidentally fatally overdosed on sleeping tablets while in the hostel. Her life fell apart all over again.

Claire was distraught and came straight to Barnabus the following day, where we were able to get her into more secure and stable temporary housing. Claire was then referred to our Resettlement Programme, where our team offered their support.

Our resettlement workers helped Claire secure furniture, a TV, a washing machine, and all the things a new mother would need, so she could get prepared for her new arrival. Claire joined some other friends who are also part of the programme at our Mix Sessions, and she’s made some lasting relationships. But Claire was still in a moment of crisis, having recently been homeless, grieving and expecting a baby.

 

A leap of faith

The support worker who had been by Claire’s side since her first day at Barnabus was still visiting and offering her support, helping Claire cope with this dark and challenging period of her life. Resettlement Team Leader Aimee had also chatted with Claire about her family, and eventually Claire felt ready to make contact with them.

 “Claire has such a great support network now,” said Aimee. “With all her brothers and sisters – along with her mum and dad – back in her life, it is all really positive. I’m so happy she took the plunge to reach out to them, as all the concerns she had about letting them down only existed in her head. Her family just wanted her back in their lives.”

 

A life brought into the world

Claire gave birth to her baby girl, and she is a brilliant mother to her. We are so happy to see Claire flourishing in her life while also taking motherhood in her stride. 

While Claire did feel very isolated in her temporary accommodation, we were eventually able to find her a more suitable place to stay. Not only does she now have more space and security, but the local area also has amazing baby groups, support groups and community groups she can access and engage with.

We’ve also built a support plan, which includes bereavement counselling. We are ever so proud of how well Claire is doing, and certain that she’ll continue to thrive with time.

 

Discover our support

If you’d like to find out more about the work we do, including our resettlement scheme, check out our website. And if you’d like to help us play a role in more success stories like this, please consider supporting our charity.

*Name has been changed to protect our friend’s identity