For James, the path to homelessness was a complex and very quick process. From having had a lifestyle which he enjoyed and allowed him to travel the world he ended up living on the streets in London.  The journey to homelessness started with James’ marriage breaking down. He then experienced mental ill health and drinking problems, which led to him losing his job and his home. If it hadn’t been for Borderline staff in London who never gave up on him, he would probably still be homeless, trying to deal with his ill health and problems on his own.  His story illustrates how important it is to have affordable housing and on-going support which works towards a solution which suits each individual.

After a difficult childhood coping with physical and verbal abuse, James, at the age of 17 left the west of Scotland for London and worked as a security guard.  He later returned to Scotland to study.  He successfully gained his qualification and worked for a large engineering company for 10 years.

‘I enjoyed my job as it allowed me to travel around Europe for up to 6 months at a time’.

However, things started to go wrong once James’s marriage broke down.  He left his job and worked in various other companies.  He then started to drink heavily and eventually lost his job, which led to periods of homelessness and numerous suicide attempts.

‘It was the worst time in my life and it all happened so quickly’.

James then moved to London and eventually came to see Borderline, as he was living rough on the streets and having been homeless for a while, he desperately needed support and accommodation.  Borderline referred him to a hostel, but he didn’t do well there. It was later established that he had mental health problems that he desperately needed help with.  He was using alcohol as part of his self-medication, which along with the mental health issues, was causing many of the problems he was having, as he tried to settle into the hostel.

Over the years Borderline has continued to help James, and has placed him in four different projects.  He now seems to have settled into the most recent hostel where is he doing well. James called to thank Borderline for their help, saying:

‘I couldn’t have got where I am today without Borderline being there for me over the years; I really appreciated that you never gave up on me and that you dragged me out of the gutter’.

You can make a real difference to people like James by volunteering, organising an event or making a donation.