Linda

51-year-old Alister was living with a member of his family in Portadown when the relationship broke down and he was asked to move out. As a result of the family breakdown, he found himself sleeping rough on the streets and unable to sustain his employment due to his situation. Alister realized he had nothing keeping him in Portadown, so he travelled to Larne where he is originally from. Upon his arrival, he managed to purchase a tent and slept under a bridge for extra shelter as the winter months were closing in. One night the temperatures dropped and Alister decided to go to Simon Community Larne to see if they would be able to help.

Roger is now in his mid-70s and settled in his own apartment in Belfast after a tumultuous few years. He lived with his wife and step-daughter but shortly after his 70th birthday his wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She became physically and mentally abusive towards Roger whose family knew nothing about what he was going through. Roger has since realised that the abuse had been ongoing throughout their marriage, and he just hadn’t acknowledged it. Roger has three children and five grandchildren from a previous marriage, but his second wife refused to allow him to see his family. Consequently, he had spent years sneaking out to celebrate things like Christmas and his grandchildren’s birthdays. Roger admits he was careless with his money and all his money went into his wife’s bank account and she would give him a weekly allowance to spend.

Caolan left home when he was 18 without anywhere permanent to live, he spent the next two years sofa surfing at friends or family’s homes. After moving into his own place, Caolan’s home was broken into on numerous occasions, including two times when he was in the house which contributed towards serious challenges with mental health.