Our Impact
Meet Michael
Michael was rough sleeping in an abandoned building when our RSI team offered him a triage bed. After four nights, he was offered a room at the hostel. He shared that it was hard to describe the relief he felt: ‘I was unpacking and crying. It was a saving grace’.
Michael shared his experience of struggling with his sense of self – in his case, after falling out of a building at ten years old and suffering a brain injury, he lost his memory and didn’t quite know who he was. In a pursuit to find a sense of belonging, he fell into a crowd that led him down a path toward alcoholism.
‘At the YMCA, you are given a chance, regardless of what problems you have. They are patient, but you have to be willing to help yourself’.
Today, Michael is an exuberant member of our community here at YMCA Wirral. As a frequent attender of our hostel activities, he has made a number of good friends and is able to make even the more isolated and withdrawn residents come out of their shell.
When it comes to trying to break free from alcohol dependency, Michael reflected: ‘I was trying to run whilst wearing a chain – and I’m still trying to break free.’
He hopes to one day rejoin the workforce and buy a home – specifically with a koi pond!
Every person who comes through our doors arrives with their own story. Some have experienced rough sleeping, domestic abuse, relationship breakdown, eviction or family crisis. Others have spent years moving between temporary accommodation, services and situations that have never given them the stability they need. Many are living with complex challenges including poor mental or physical health, addiction, trauma, disability or the effects of brain injury.
We believe homelessness is not a person’s identity. Our role is to create the stability from which someone can begin to rebuild their life.
Our support is deliberately person-centred. We meet people where they are, rather than expecting them to overcome every barrier before they can receive help. Progress does not always look dramatic. Sometimes impact is preventing a crisis, keeping someone safe, or providing enough stability for them to take their next step.