Linh

Dear RoomSponsor,

My name is Linh and I’m originally from Vietnam. I now live at a YMCA in Greater London. Staying here has changed my life, so I want to share my story to show you how much your support as a RoomSponsor can impact young people like me.

I left Vietnam because I wanted a better future than the one I was likely to have there. Life at home could be difficult, and I was seeking new opportunities.

At first, I didn’t have a permanent place to live in the UK. I suppose I was sofa surfing. I would stay with extended family and some friends, but never for very long. It was hard being in a country I didn’t know without a secure home or support network.

To make this worse, I then fell ill for a couple of years. I had a few health problems and I couldn’t manage on my own. I was lucky to be able to stay with a friend without any charge. They were very kind to me, they looked after me.

Unfortunately, there came a point where I couldn’t stay with them any longer. They needed the room I was staying in back, so I needed to get out quickly. I was scared at this time and very stressed. I felt pretty hopeless, I thought people were going to judge me for being homeless. I reached out to the local authority for help, and they told me about a YMCA in Greater London.

Before coming here, I’d actually never heard of YMCA. As soon as I arrived, I was grateful that they were able to help and could give me a place to stay. I was nervous of course, because I was walking into a place where everyone was a stranger. I was also very self-conscious when speaking because my English was not that good.

I was shy to begin with, but as I gained some confidence I began to meet other residents. I’ve found it really interesting meeting new people who are happy to share their experiences. Everyone at YMCA has a different story. I enjoy hearing different perspectives on things.

At YMCA there is a big focus on helping young people gain the skills and confidence to progress in their lives. I’ve found the support team here have really helped me to pull myself together and start my life again.

I now work part time in a nail salon. The job has really helped me with my anxiety, I’m a lot better at talking to people now. Before this I spent a lot of time in my room, feeling down and not wanting to get back up. Getting this job has helped me feel involved in my community and I’ve been able to learn new skills.

I’ve also become a YMCA Resident Rep so I can help advocate for young people’s issues. I have attended some large events and even spoken in front of MPs. I never thought I’d have the confidence to do that.

I’m excited that my YMCA has accommodation which is designed to help young people become completely independent. I’ll get help with things like setting up utilities and council tax. I’ll soon be ready to move in there and can work at standing on my own two feet.

My support worker told me that when I dream about my future, I should dream big. When I dream, I dream about having my own place, so this move at YMCA should be a good stepping stone to help me achieve that.

Hopefully in a few years’ time, I’ll be able to say my life is really positive. I won’t have to worry about becoming homeless again. I’ll be somewhere that I feel completely safe.

I’m so grateful to you for supporting YMCA as a RoomSponsor. There are so many other young people like me who are just at the start of their journey. Some of us are a bit lost at the moment. YMCA helps give us the strong base we need get to know ourselves, build confidence and move on to have a good future.

Best wishes,

Linh

YMCA Resident