Owen, age 22, was drawn into the world of online gambling at a time when he was struggling with mental health issues.
“I had no sense of the value of money and would gamble all my wages. I feel so lucky that I only had my wages to gamble, I was still living with my parents but if I had had a house of my own then I would have gambled it. I just couldn’t stop.”
It took a year before Owen managed to stop gambling. In the meantime, family tensions got too much and he was forced to move out.
Owen admits the Nightshelter wasn’t quite like he thought it would be: “Staff are really approachable, I felt safe and supported. I also really liked the food! I liked the comings and goings and having people around me, they are good sources of information. I am feeling optimistic about the future.”
Whilst staying at the Nightshelter, Owen attended counselling. He also received help to register for council housing and with a dentist. He gained training and qualifications in construction and was given support writing his CV. One of our volunteers, who is also a maths teacher, offered to help him gain maths qualifications.
After staying at the Nightshelter for five months, Owen has now moved onto to his own accommodation in the local area. Thanks to generous donations made to the Nightshelter we were able to provide him with bedding, crockery, a food parcel and a television for his new accommodation.
