Perry: We didn’t have a clue. Liam had just been born and we were living with my mum. She has her own health issues and dealing with mine as well was making her more ill. We needed to find somewhere else to live.
We moved to a hostel but there were a lot of problems – it just wasn’t practical for a family. At the time my mental health issues hadn’t been diagnosed properly and Liam was unwell, so it was a really hard environment to live in. We were at our wits end.
We contacted the council and eventually they moved us to a temporary accommodation flat and that’s when we got introduced to Jackie and Gill – it was amazing!
When we met Jackie and Gill, they opened up the world for us, and essentially got us a home as a family. We wouldn’t be where we are if they hadn’t done what they’ve done. We can’t thank them enough.
Fernley: We’d been let down so many times before, so it was hard trusting new people. But after the first meeting, it seemed like it was going to all come together, the way they were with us it was completely different. It was such a relief to know that someone is actually on your side.
Perry: Simple things like showing compassion and actually listening! Other places we had been it was like they were just there to do a job, but Jackie and Gill actually made time for us. We realised that just by talking to the right person your whole life can change.
They were able to help us as a family but for me personally they helped me with my outstanding debts. I also had some issues with my medication and filling out forms. Now I am a million times better than when I first met them. There is a lot of stereotyping with mental health issues and I felt ashamed, like I couldn’t talk to anybody. But by approaching the right people it makes a world of difference. They helped a million times more in the short space of time that we were working together than others have helped me in years!
Fernley: Perry struggled to communicate before. But now he is completely different, it’s nice to sit back and hear him do the talking! They have helped him with his confidence as well, we went to the seaside the other day – that would never have happened before. He’s brilliant with Liam, who’s always been a daddy’s boy but he’s even worse now!
Perry: So much has changed. We actually feel settled here, it feels like a home. Being in a new place, progressing yourself and moving forward comes from having a fresh start. I want to go back to work, we need a bit of stability, a bit of money, and a bit more security with our monthly income. It’s not nice having to rely on something that you can’t actually rely on. So being able to depend on myself again and know what money you’ve got coming in each month will help a lot.
When we met Jackie and Gill, they opened up the world for us, and essentially got us a home as a family. We wouldn’t be where we are if they hadn’t done what they’ve done. We can’t thank them enough.
When we first met this family they were completely closed off, defeated and frustrated. They struggled with phone calls and paperwork, Perry’s mental health issues also meant he found it hard to trust people. Once we’d built a relationship with them they were happy to let us help. We encouraged them to positively challenge the problems they were having. Money was an issue, but we managed to minimise their debt and maximise their income.
It meant a lot to hear we helped Perry with his mental health issues – we’ve never seen him talk so much! His engagement with their son was lovely to see. Perry previously said he didn’t know how to play with his son, but it’s clear it comes naturally! They are now talking about the future which they never used to. They look so much happier, it’s like sunshine is beaming from them!