The third in this series of posts highlighting the experiences of some of those staying in one of our dedicated Young People Projects introduces you to Chloe who has been with Simon Community NI for one and a half years:
I had problems within my family home so I had to leave. My social work referred me to the Housing Executive and they referred me to Simon Community.
I was scared when I first moved in, I was happy to have somewhere to go but I was nervous about living on my own at 17. I’ve gotten used to it now and I do get on well with staff. I’ve also made friends with the other people living here.
I enjoy getting involved with Projects and opportunities Simon Community gives us. There is a lot of support here, from staff to social workers and personal advisors. The staff get you in contact with other people if you need specific support with something or want someone to talk to. They have helped me with budgeting, cooking and other things – it’s really helpful for developing skills for the future and preparing us for moving out which is the ultimate goal.
I do want to move on but when I think about leaving Simon Community, I probably will look back and miss it, because a lot of good stuff has happened while I’ve been here.