We first met David* when he was living in a hotel room. This had been arranged by Manchester Council during one of the national COVID-19 lockdowns as part of the government’s ‘Everyone In’ campaign. We provided support workers to these hotels to help the people there overcome any issues they were facing, and find more permanent accommodation for them to move on to.

In this blog, we wanted to share David’s story. We also explain how we partner with other organisations to support our friends in their journey towards living independently.

Eager for resettlement

David was an alcoholic, and was a very heavy drinker when we met him. This was negatively impacting his mental health and preventing him from moving on with his life.

Despite this, David was determined to beat his addiction and had started to take steps towards achieving his goal. It was this that made him a good candidate for our resettlement project. He met with Aimee, one of our resettlement workers, and she agreed that he would be well suited.

Committed to recovery

We were able to find David a property of his own, and source furniture and cooking equipment to ensure his move went smoothly and set him up for an independent life.

At the same time, David was also working with Change Grow Live (CGL). CGL is a charity that supports people with their addictions, and we’re really pleased to see how well David has progressed thanks to their support. He recently completed a Recovery and Motivation Programme (RAMP), which has seen a massive reduction in his drinking and a reduction in the harm to his body as a result.

Passionate about life

This reduction in David’s drinking has led to him wanting to do much more with his time and enrich his life. By creating a weekly schedule of activities, as well as a support network made up of the people he will meet through these activities, David will build his new life and further help himself overcome his addiction.

As part of this, Barnabus resettlement worker Cat connected David with a conservation charity. She joined him on his first volunteering session, and is pleased to report that he really enjoyed it and is looking forward to attending again.

Discover more stories like David’s

Helping our friends find hobbies and become a part of their local communities is such an important way of equipping them for independent living. We’re delighted to see David starting to settle into his local area.

If you found this story inspiring and would like to find out more about the work Barnabus does every day, we would love to tell you more. Sign up to our monthly emails using the form below, and we’ll send you all the latest stories and updates straight to your inbox.

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