Martin

Dear RoomSponsor,

My name is Martin. Staying at a YMCA in Greater London has been a transformative experience for me, and I wanted to share my story so you know how you are changing the lives of young people as a RoomSponsor.

Looking back, I can see my trouble started when I was still at school. I was a big lad and kids can be cruel, so I was bullied a lot. As a kind of defence, I started smoking weed when I was about 16. When I finally stopped, it was like my brain was different from how it was before. I started doing reckless things, started rebelling and taking other drugs and drinking heavily. I thought of it as self-medication, but it wasn’t. It was just making the situation worse.

My mum struggled to know what to do, and she had my younger brother and sisters to care for too. She put up with me for long enough, but eventually she couldn’t cope with me, and said, ‘Go to rehab, otherwise I don’t want you in my house anymore.’ I know it broke her heart, but what else could she do?

From that point, I found myself with nowhere to turn. Nobody else would put me up for more than a couple of days. I was homeless. I started sofa surfing, staying at a mate’s house, but after a while he chucked me out and I didn’t know where to turn. It was such a dark time for me. The thought of living on the streets was absolutely terrifying. I remember breaking down and just saying over and over, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t be homeless, I can’t do this anymore’. That was my lowest point.

I found out there was a church that was letting homeless people sleep on their floor. The people there were so kind. They gave me food and blankets. Best of all, they told me about YMCA.

YMCA was so much more than just a room to sleep in – although that was a God-send in itself – they’ve also got this counselling programme that honestly changed my life. My counsellor, Michelle, was my absolute saviour. She not only got me off the drugs, she gave me a whole new perspective on life. I discovered, for the first time ever, that what I needed was a routine. A job. A purpose. Michelle and the team helped me feel safe, supported and able to push forward with my life. I couldn’t have felt more hopeful.

I started doing volunteer work, collecting food and sharing it around with other YMCA residents. I’ve been volunteering for YMCA ever since. They helped me feel strong enough to help others. Now I just want to do for others what YMCA has done for me.

My mum’s never been so proud of what’s going on in my life. I’m so far away from where I was. I even got voted ‘Young Volunteer of the Year’ at YMCA’s national ‘Youth Matters’ awards.

Helping other young people turn their own lives around is the most satisfying thing I could ever imagine doing. To think, I can help turn someone’s life around? I’ll never believe it, but if I can inspire one person to come on this journey with me, that saved my life, I’ll die a very happy man.

 Your support as a YMCA RoomSponsor means so much to young people like me. I no longer feel alone, and instead feel empowered to work towards my future. Thank you for everything you do.

Kind regards,

Martin