Independent living is a Big Change bonus.

Simon’s dream since becoming homeless and spending 13 months in temporary accommodation has started to come true. He has at last found an unfurnished flat of his own.

But, yet to find work, Simon was living without the basic ‘white goods’ which most of us take for granted.

With no cooker he relied on takeaways. This was draining his limited income and doing his health no good. Likewise, he likes to keep his clothes clean. But with no washing machine he spent a lot of his time – and money – at the laundrette.

With the relatively small cost of these basics we knew that Simon would use his extra resources and time on furthering himself in work or training to become fully independent.

He is now cooking for himself and his sense of independence and self-sufficiency grow daily. The chances of Simon falling back into homelessness reduce every day. The only losers are the local takeaways!