City streets to dust sheets: One man’s journey through recovery and new skills

A man from Swansea, who had previously experienced street homelessness and prison, is turning his life around by helping to renovate homes in the city for homelessness charity, The Wallich, which will house people in emergency need.

Dean, aged 44, who had previously used The Wallich services for several years, is now on placement with Cii Construction’s Community Impact Initiative, which offers roles to people with experience of homelessness to help them gain new vocational skills.

Dean is currently working on the refurbishment of one of the two houses donated to The Wallich by retired professors Valerie (71) and Chris (77) Norris. The total refurbishment of both homes is estimated at around £10,000.

Following a period of hardship in his life, Dean was keen to get back into construction. He said: “I used to be a roofer, but after everything, I’ve been looking for a way to get back into working in the trades and seeing where it takes me. This has been great just to get back into a routine and get a bit more confidence.”

With his past experience, Dean quickly got back into the swing of things and became a valuable part of the team.

“Meaningful”

Rajesh Joshi, Cii Construction Tutor, said: “From day one, Dean got stuck into the work, taking on tasks ranging from filling superficial imperfections in the walls to clearing the front garden, nothing was too big or too small.

“Our team on site were impressed with Dean’s positive attitude and willingness to learn. Over the course of the placement, he built his confidence, developed new skills, and left with a clearer idea of what he’d like to do next.

“Placements like Dean’s show how partnerships between organisations can create meaningful opportunities, not just to support the work we do, but to help people take real steps forward into the industry.”

The professors’ donation of two houses will become part of The Wallich’s Swansea ‘Alternative to Bed and Breakfast Accommodation’, or ‘ABBA’, which houses people in emergency need in Swansea. Residents stay for a short time, before being moved into more permanent accommodation.

“Audacious idea”

With temporary accommodation becoming in short supply across Wales, ‘ABBA’ is an important alternative to the historic use of bed and breakfast accommodation by local authorities trying to house people experiencing homelessness while longer term housing is sought.

Valerie Norris said of the motives for donating the two houses to charity: “We knew how much help homeless people need.

“After we had settled down together for a while, we could see how our finances stood, and we hit upon the audacious idea of buying a house for those in need. We saw The Wallich’s CEO on TV and the rest is history.

“It’s clear that they’re moving swiftly forward with plans and that the houses will be put to the very best use. We’re especially impressed that the Community Impact Initiative will undertake some of the refurbishment work, thereby doubling its beneficial effect.”

Mike Bobbett, Director of Business Innovation at The Wallich said, “This project is the perfect example of a community response to homelessness. From the generosity of providing bricks and mortar by Val and Chris, to using the refurbishment as an opportunity for social mobility, to using the housing to tackle Wales’s housing crisis.

“We’re so pleased that this new partnership with the Cii has reinvigorated lapsed skills of people we support. Dean is an inspiration and has been working so hard with us to move forward into his next chapter. This is what it’s all about.”

To learn more about The Wallich’s work, visit: www.thewallich.com.