Amin’s Story

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YMCA Cheltenham Amin's Story Amin's Story “I fled the war in Sudan in 2016. It was not safe for me to live there anymore with all the violence that was happening. When I came to Gloucester I found myself homeless. After a short period of time living in NASS (National Asylum Support Service) accommodation and spent my time sofa surfing...

Amy’s story

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YMCA Cheltenham Amy's Story Amy's Story I came to YMCA Cheltenham in June 2017. When I arrived I was on probation and a suspended sentence and on a compulsory order to engage with the drugs and alcohol services. My life was pretty messed up, I had lost everything including my dog and I won’t lie to you the idea...

Cassandra’s story

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YMCA Cheltenham Cassandra featured image Cassandra's story Being a young girl of 18 and homeless did scare me, not knowing what was going to happen. This wasn’t the first time I became homeless and the thought of going back into a B&B again wasn’t an option. I was stuck. The embarrassment of my situation made me hesitant to tell anyone,...

Simon’s Story

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YMCA Stories - Simon Simon's Story Kicked out of home at 17, Simon* had to deal with the harsh reality of being homeless and spent a night on the streets before being signposted to YMCA Cheltenham.  He was still at school, studying for his A-levels.  "My situation was desperate and I moved into YMCA straight away and was given...

Tom’s Story

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Tom's Story At 16, Tom* left home following a relationship breakdown with his parents.  He was homeless, getting into crime and doing “stupid stuff”.  He moved constantly and, in his own words, he “lost his head for a time”. He decided he wanted to move back to Cheltenham as he was feeling lost, away from...

Mark’s story

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YMCA Stories image Mark Mark's Story I arrived at the YMCA following the breakdown of a long-term relationship.  I had lost everything – my home, my job, my best friend – everything that I had worked towards. I had even lost my confidence.  When I first arrived at the YMCA, all I needed was a bed and a roof,...