The Brick, a delivery partner of the GM Homes Partnership began working with Brian* after he suffered a family breakdown and became street homeless after the death of a family member. He experienced issues with alcohol use, which impacted on his ability to manage accommodation.

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Brian is currently accommodated within a shared property managed by The Brick and although he is settling into the accommodation well, he’s been seeking meaningful use of his time in order to gain the confidence needed to eventually return to employment.

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Working with his coach, Brian discussed his aspirations and skills. In these conversations, he discussed how he would like to return to working as a chef and his passion for art, with a particular interest in drawing.

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His coach brokered an opportunity for him to gain voluntary work within the café at The Brick Works as a starting point, to allow him to experience working within this environment again before making further decisions as to the type of employment he would like to seek out.

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He began drawing in his spare time and his coach encouraged his talents. In November, he entered his artwork into a local art competition. Three pieces of his work were selected to be displayed within the art exhibition, and Brian went to see his work displayed in the exhibition with friends in December of 2018.

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Brian’s alcohol consumption has reduced as a result of having a focus, and he is also now more willing to discuss his issues in order to address them.

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Being noticed for his artwork by others and receiving positive feedback from individuals outside of his usual social network provided a huge boost to his confidence and self-esteem. The GM Homes Partnership will continue to support him to build up his confidence and seek further opportunities in his life.

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*Not his real name

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Photo credit - Craig Barker