Shannan’s Story
Now that Shannan has a safe place to call home at Your Place, she has started to think about her future and making her goals a reality.
I had always lived with my mum. But when I turned 20, it became very overwhelming for me, and as my mum was suffering with her mental health, I think parenting was a challenge for her too. When her health got worse, we mutually decided that I should leave, and I left in a negative headspace with nowhere to go.
Although I knew it was best to leave, I definitely wasn’t ready. I wasn’t in work as I was finishing college, so I had to ask the council for help. As well as having nowhere to live, I was also having issues with friends, family, and my own personal issues, so it was all happening at once and again I found myself overwhelmed.
That was when I had a bad experience at a different hostel in East London. There was some bad management and I had some unfair treatment there, so I’m now really pleased to be living somewhere with good communication with my key worker.
"They do a good job of reminding women that we are not alone"
I’ve been at Your Place since July 2023, and my first priority is getting back into work that I enjoy. I’ve been working in hospitality, and my keyworker Bella has been great in helping me get my ID documents that I need to secure work. I’ve never had a passport before. Bella is really supportive and kind to me. It’s not just empathy that I’ve received here; people do their job of helping people really well.
There are a lot of good things happening at Your Place, and I make the most of living here. Things like access to the food bank and period products for women, they are really useful. There was a women’s event recently for people who have experienced domestic violence and similar issues, they do a good job of reminding women that we are not alone. Your Place really care about the wellbeing of the people living here.
I’m someone who always wants to see the positive in everything, and for me, my time here is a moment in my life where I can get some guidance and some space to myself before I start renting, which I know will be hard. Before coming here, I was doing hair, and in the long run, my dream is to set up my own small business – my own salon. With support, I now think that is possible.
