Andrew's story

“I was born in Yorkshire, but I’d spent most of my life in Africa. It’s huge, but there’s this continent-wide philosophy called Ubuntu, which is humanism. ‘I am because of who we all are.’ We’re interconnected.''

“I studied and worked as a journalist in Africa, and it was an amazing experience living there and travelling around.”

Andrew was forced into homelessness when he returned to England, at the age of 56.
With the system being complicated, Andrew tells us “Very quickly I ran into all the red tape and the paperwork. I hadn’t been here, so I didn’t know how the system worked.''

“I stayed with my brother in Oxford, but he’s disabled so I couldn’t stay for long. I couldn’t find a job, and the only way I could get benefits support was to register as homeless. That was quite traumatic because I’ve always looked after myself.''

“You’ve got to get bank accounts, birth certificates, the whole thing. It’s very challenging, and for somebody who’s in a vulnerable situation, they get intimidated.”

Andrew sofa-surfed with friends, one of whom put him in touch with Crisis.
“Crisis really helped me. They have a course called Renting Ready that tells you what you need to do to get on the housing list.  It gives you that step-by-step process.''

“I remember bidding for houses: you don't know where you're going to end up, which was a bit unsettling. But the person at the council phoned and said, ‘Andrew, there's a great place. Don't let it go.’ I said, ‘I'll take it’.''

“It's clean, it's my little house. I've got a place and I'm warm.  And Crisis gave me a little start-up to buy some second-hand furniture. That's why it's nice to come back and do something."

Andrew has volunteered at Crisis Skylight Oxford since 2016.

“The people you meet here who are experiencing homelessness are sometimes the most amazing human beings. I’ve been involved with a project over Christmas, packing hampers full of toiletries, food and clothing. We’re doing this for people who really have their backs against a wall, and they say, ‘Don’t worry about me; give it to someone who’s really in need’. To me, that’s absolutely humbling. It brings me back again and again to help.''

“There's no need for homelessness in what’s purported to be one of the richest countries in the world. There's no excuse. Billions of pounds are being squandered, which could've housed everybody in this country. And this goes beyond England: there's always enough money for bombs and bullets. Now we've got people living on the street. Nobody wants to live on the street. So come on, government ...do something about it.”