Matt is turning his life around with help from Hamilton House

Matt was homeless and suffering from poor mental health when he took the decision to turn to forfutures for help.

Less than 12 months later, he is living in his own flat, has completed several educational courses and has built a new circle of friends.

Matt, who is from Chester, was working full-time in a supermarket when he began to suffer with mental health problems. After being referred to a psychologist by his GP, he was given medication, but this didn’t work for Matt and he suffered from auditory hallucinations – meaning he could hear things that weren’t real.

He began to miss work and found himself living in the woods, which led to him losing his home. He went to live with his parents but was admitted to hospital after suffering a breakdown. He became homeless again after being discharged.

Everything changed when he began engaging with forfutures and found the supported accommodation at Hamilton House in Chester.

Working with support staff, Matt has successfully applied for sickness benefits, has moved to his own flat supported by staff in Ellesmere Port, and is on track to move to independent accommodation.

He has attended courses in peer mentoring, DIY and IT, and has completed the For Change course. Following a referral from forfutures he is working with New Leaf, a programme which supports people from across Cheshire to move closer to employment, gain some basic IT skills and promote further independence.

Matt has also taken up running and attending the gym to be more active.

He is awaiting a health diagnosis but is making excellent progress.

“Matt has been a pleasure to work with,” says support worker Lisa Walker. “He is a very genuine guy and always attends appointments. He has never lived in Ellesmere Port before but has settled in really well. He has come to like the area, which he feels is the best place for him to settle and he has started to build up a network of friends.

“Matt is very grateful for all the support he has received from forfutures and Share, another organisation working to help people who are homeless. He says he has never felt so supported and can see a future no matter what his health diagnosis brings.”