For the past two years, Charlie has been supported by our Rapid Rehousing team after an unsettled period of sofa surfing where his mental health really suffered. He’s since become a Peer Educator and is excelling in his skates on the rink.

Hi, my name is Charlie and I’m 23 years old. I am currently living in supported accommodation provided by Roundabout’s Rapid Rehousing team, and have been since February 2023.

I grew up down south in a really crowded house with my 4 siblings, me and my parents all living in the same small house.

When I was 13 I was sexually abused which led to me being pressured to come out as LGBT+ before I was ready.

My family weren’t accepting of me and didn’t want me in the house, so I ended up moving out to live with my Nan who was comfortable with me being gay.

When I was 17, my Nan sadly passed away which meant I was homeless again. I wasn’t able to move back in with my family, so I spent two years sofa surfing. It was around this time that my mental health really started to decline.

I really struggled with the instability of sofa surfing again, especially after having my own place and living independently – it felt like a step backwards and it was much harder than I anticipated going back to a lifestyle I thought I had left behind.

After 6 months of sofa surfing, I moved into a property with my boyfriend in Sheffield. This felt like a really good move, I finally felt more settled and the rent was more affordable, but we ended up breaking up, and within a month he kicked me out with nowhere to go.

This situation put me into a mental health crisis and around this time I attempted to take my own life a number of times.

After this my mental health worker referred me to Roundabout and within a week I was given the flat I currently live in.

Hannah, my worker helped me to settle in. Having a place that finally felt like home helped my mental health so much.

Charlie and fellow Peer Educators.

I have also had access to Roundabout’s counselling service which has been amazing. There was only a small waiting list so within a few weeks of signing up I was able to have a safe space to talk about how I was feeling.

I had always been worried about opening up and talking to people but Nick helped me feel relaxed and comfortable and I now realise how good it is to talk.

I have also used The Other Will’s mental health service at Roundabout. This has really helped me find new coping mechanisms for issues in my life.

He has also been able to refer me to other services that I have found really helpful.

Overall Roundabout has been a very supportive environment for me. I always feel comfortable coming to sit in the office and I feel like I am always supported.

I would like to thank Roundabout for all their support and making me feel safe.

With the support of Will in Peer Education I have been able to share my story with other young people and educate them about where to go for support.

Photo 1: Charlie and his skating coach. Since moving to Sheffield, Charlie has started ice skating. He recently competed in an open competition hosted by GB Ice Skating, not only winning his category but also achieving a new PB. Though skating, Charlie has found a new passion, and it’s really helped him to settle into a new city, and find a solid support network.