Success stories

Heidee

Ceredigion Care Society - Heidee Following GCSE exams in 2003 and the breakdown of my relationship with my family I found myself homeless in Cardigan.

Using my meagre savings I managed to get bed & breakfast in the town but did not have enough for more than a few days.  I contacted the Careers office to make arrangements to sign on for Job Seekers’ Allowance and was helped by Cara Davies, by the following week I was on a course at Ceredigion Training.

Cara also referred me to Ceredigion Care Society in Cardigan for help with my housing situation.  Rachel Nicholas, who became my Bond & support worker, liaised with Mr Evans in the homelessness department in Aberystwyth to arrange temporary emergency accommodation whilst she spoke to a landlord on my behalf. Read more

Ceredigion Care Society provided a bond certificate, helped me to get a rent advance and set up the tenancy, unfortunately, even with ongoing support and mediation from Rachel my tenancy in the basement studio flat did not last long, as the landlords lived upstairs, above their shop and they were concerned about the volume of noise I made and the number of visitors I had.  Before the situation got completely beyond repair Rachel helped me to move on to a bedsit in Cardigan where I lived until 2007.

I found everyone in Cardigan friendly and helpful by the beginning of September I was beginning a catering course in Coleg Ceredigion, had my own bedsit and lots of friends. I completed the 3 year course and applied to Leeds Metropolitan University to study Hospitality & Business Management, which gave me the opportunity of a work placement in Hong Kong. I graduated in 2010 and am currently working in a hotel in Leeds, living with my partner Andrew and we are expecting our first baby in December 2011.  I have rebuilt relationships with some of my family and see my Dad, who lives nearby on a regular basis.

I doubt I would have achieved without the patience, help and understanding shown to me by Ceredigion Care Society, Cara at Careers Wales and Gwynneth Preston at Coleg Cerdigion.

 

P.C. & S.M.

Ceredigion Care Society has been an immense help to my family when we were recently faced with near homelessness and a delay in our benefits being processed. We were in a situation of having absolutely no money and with three young children to provide for. Things were very desperate and causing a great deal of stress. We were quite overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork we had to fill in and the Care Society have been invaluable in the professional, friendly way in which they have supported us. They also made us aware of benefits and assistance that we would otherwise not have been aware of.

They have been more than efficient in providing ongoing support in a caring, non-judgemental and non-condescending way. This is just the kind of support we needed when our lives were affected by an unexpected and stressful situation. Previously we were not aware that organisations like Ceredigion Care Society even existed and it is very reassuring to know that such an organisation is available to people like us who need similar help.

 

Gareth

My name is Gareth Moore I am 18 years old.  I became homeless just after my 17th birthday, I fell out with my mother’s boyfriend and was asked to leave the family home.  My mother has cancer and has been very ill for a while.  I had nowhere to go when I left my mother’s home, I stayed on friends sofas but that wasn’t ideal.  A friends mum got in touch with the support team of Ceredigion Care Society, they took me to see the homeless officer Lisa Brammeld who gave me a place in the emergency accommodation in Cardigan. I received support from CCS and was able to continue to go to college to finish my catering course.  I achieved young welsh cook of the year and was looking to do a work placement with Gordon Ramsey. I was offered a place at CCS Young Persons Project, I had my own room and all the people living there were the same age as me.

The CCS encouraged us prepare and cook Sunday lunch together, we were taught living skills, I finished my college course and got a job in a local restaurant cooking.  With the help from CCS I moved into a shared flat and am continuing to receive support.  I have been offered a work placement next year with Gordon Ramsey.

 

C.W.

I moved up to this area to get away from my old life in South Wales otherwise I’m sure I would have ended up dead. I was heavily into drugs and not eating or living properly.

After staying with family for a bit I was lucky enough to find a private rented flat, which the bond scheme made it possible for me to move into, providing me with the deposit as well as help to obtain a rent advance.

As I still had so many issues, a support worker then came to see me weekly, they helped me sort out bills, clear old debts and generally organise my lifestyle. For me this was a lifeline in trying to get things back on track. Just recently, with their help and encouragement, after a year and a half of appealing I have now been awarded disability Living Allowance to further help me out.

Without the Care Society I probably wouldn’t have bothered doing any of this and could easily have been back where I started. Now I can finally look forward to settling down and starting afresh knowing that there is someone there to help as well if needed.