Dandi
“There’s nowhere quite like The Clock Tower Sanctuary where you can access food, get help and advice and enjoy great activities. The staff are friendly and helpful and it’s a good atmosphere where you can make friends.”
Dandi became homeless after her relationship with her mum became so difficult that she couldn't stay at home anymore. She started coming to The Clock Tower Sanctuary with her brother, and that's when things started to get better.
"Every homeless person has a different story. People used to say to me 'Oh you're not actually homeless are you? You look fine.' But just because I looked clean and had a job, it doesn't mean I had a place to stay and that I am always safe. What I remember strongly from being homeless is trying to juggle school with working and everything else in life. I had nobody to really support me.
My first impressions of CTS was that it has a lot of faciliites, you can cook you own food, have a shower, wash your clothes and they provide practical things like tampons or an iron. The staff and volunteers try to understand you, rather than judge you. They help you realise your potential. It's nice to meet new people that have been in similar situations and I've made good friends here.
I got involved with lots of activities like music workshops, circus skills and Women's' Group. I did lots of LifeWise classes and got to go on a training course to learn how to be a barista. It really helped my confidence.
Thanks to my experiences at CTS, I found a job and I would really like to become a youth worker one day and give back the help I've been given."