When I was 16, I was left homeless after having to leave my family home. I spent a number of months staying with friends and moving around without a permanent place to live. During this time, I was studying at Highlands College and I found it incredibly difficult to keep up with my studies whilst not having a stable and safe place to stay. I was then housed with JAYF which meant I was finally able to feel settled which facilitated me being able to focus on my college work again. Without this help, I don’t believe I would have been able to finish my education and this would have had a lasting negative impact on my life. If I were to have continued being homeless, I have no doubt that my mental and physical health would have been detrimentally affected and I can’t imagine how I would have managed to get myself out of that situation without the help of JAYF. Being provided with a space of my own was an instrumental part of me taking control of my life and I will be forever grateful for this support. Not only did JAYF provide me with a place to live, but I was also given support and guidance on how to navigate my life and find my independence. The stability that JAYF provided me was fundamental to my growth and development and I simply would not be where I am today without the help of JAYF.
Male, aged 21
I am the eldest in a large family. Throughout my childhood I was treated differently to my siblings, and I often felt excluded. I would
