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Charlie Interview Article Flipbook PDF
Interview article on Charlie- Crisis Skylight Newcastle.
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ISSUE NO. 1
“MY OWN FRONT DOOR” INTERVIEWING A MEMBER OF CRISIS SKYLIGHT NEWCASTLE...
Charlie is an individual who has been homeless for several years. The organisation Crisis Skylight in Newcastle has helped him to improve the quality of his life and he now lives in a small rented flat. I was joined by Charlie in the Crisis Cafe in Newcastle, where he allowed me to interview him about his life on the streets. WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR YOU BECOMING HOMELESS?
My marriage broke down so I began to drinkit was the only thing that made me feel better. Gradually I started drinking more and more, and eventually I guess you could say I was an alcoholic. I lost my job as a lorry driver and was constantly arrested for being drunk and disorderly. In the end they locked me up, saying that it would help me dry out and become a better person, but they were wrong, because being in prison meant that I lost my home, everything. The council just took it all off me.
felt let down though, distraught and very alone. I would never look forward to the future, because I didn’t know if I even had a future. I would live in the moment. It was almost like I was trapped in a tunnel and I couldn’t see my way out.
everyone just walks past as if you’re not even there. They forget that you’re human like the rest of them. I was hardly ever outside in the open WHERE DID YOU SLEEP? anyway though- a real Either underneath the city library or homeless person will never underneath shops- basically just wherever it sit begging for money on the was warm. Occasionally you’d get the police streets like you see some wondering around and they’d tell you to WHAT HAVE YOUR people doing- those people move on to somewhere else, but there was no EXPERIENCES OF LIVING ON are just begging to feed their where else, you’d just move on to the next THE STREETS IN habits and they usually have a underground site and so on. NEWCASTLE BEEN LIKE? place to go home to. A real WHAT THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS DID YOU Like I said, I seem to have homeless person is ashamed HAVE DURING THIS TIME? blocked out a lot, but I can of themselves because they’re That’s a really tough question haha. I seem remember that no one ever so scruffy. You won’t > to have blanked a lot of those feelings out seemed to notice youcontinued on page 2 now- I can’t remember a lot. I do know that I
Above, Charlie showed me the places where he used to sleep. I took photographs of the area.
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“I can use my experiences to help others in the future.”
Below, The entrance to
-Charlie
the underground car
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park where Charlie
see many real homeless people around on the streets- you’ll only ever see them lying on park benches or hiding in sheltered corners. If you do see a real homeless person, give them food, not money. They only want food. I used to get my food from the Greggs bins- they’d throw decent food away really early in the morning, so I’d make sure that I got that to eat. Sometimes I’d go all day without having had any food- I was basically trying to survive.
used to sleep.
Above, A headshot of Charlie taken after the interview.
HOW HAS CRISIS HELPED YOU?
When I first heard about Crisis, I was too embarrassed to come into the building to begin with, because I didn’t know whether I’d get judged, and I was ashamed for looking so scruffy. I was taken back by how nice the people were though- they were so understanding and inviting, and for once somebody cared about me. They showed me where I could eat and shower, so I tidied myself up, and after being cleaner it gave me the confidence to go back. If you’re homeless you can’t get a doctor,
because you have no fixed address, so Crisis helped me with health checks. Crisis also introduced me to a place where I could get a hostel to live in, however you had to prove to them that you really were homeless. To do this, they had a team called the A Team who would drive around the town centre at night to catch you sleeping on the streets. Overall I spent 9 months living on the streets before I managed to get a little place
of my own. Well, it’s rented, so I still don’t have the security of calling it my own- it could by snatched away from me at any time. I hope that this will change in the future. I honestly believe that I wouldn’t have been on the streets for as long as I was if I’d known about Crisis earlier- they’ve turned my life around. Crisis also encouraged me to start painting and I now create some great pieces > continued on page 3
CHARLIE’S ARTWORK
Above, A mosaic created by Charlie.
Left and Above, Paintings created by Charlie.
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of artwork that I’m really proud ofI didn’t know that I had those skills. I still occasionally struggle with depression and anxiety because of what I’ve been through, but Crisis also help me to tackle it.
disrespected and judged by them. Although the flat that I live in now is still not completely my own, I still have my own front door to go through- and that’s good enough for me.
DO YOU THINK THAT THERE’S A LACK OF AWARENESS FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE?
WHAT WERE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER HOMELESS PEOPLE LIKE?
Definitely. I also think that there’s a lack of support and information available for homeless people, however Crisis does make people aware. When living on the streets, I met people that have been doctors, teachers, you name it, that are now homeless. Anyone can become homeless for any reason- it could be drink related, or anything. Drink helps to lead to homelessness you see, because it becomes a habit and eventually you lose everything.
We tend to keep ourselves to ourselves really, it’s the best way. People vary- sometimes you could have a nice conversation with someone, and discuss how you both got here you know, but sometimes other people just want a fight. I can remember one time someone spotted my nice sleeping bag that I’d managed to get hold of, and they decided that they wanted it- let’s just say it didn’t end well. I liked to stay on my own though, it would keep me away from drunks and people I just didn’t want to be associated with.
to wake up for in the morning. I wanted to give something back to Crisis for how much they’ve helped me, so recently I’ve been a volunteer, a classroom assistant, a member rep and an ambassador for them. WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE?
Well as my flat isn’t guaranteed as my own, I hope that someday I can have a place that only belongs to me. I would decorate it nicely and display my artwork too. At the moment, I’m still perhaps going around in a circle because if I get kicked out of my flat, then I’ll go straight back onto the streets. I hope that wouldn’t happen. I know now that I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of and what I’ve experienced has made me who I am today. I can use my experiences ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR NOW to help others in the future. Don’t HAVING A PLACE TO LIVE? get me wrong, it sure is a hard life, Yes, one hundred percent. My life WHAT’S YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE and I’m still fairly unsettled, is so much different now to how it LIKE NOW? constantly wondering what’s next, used to be. I lost complete respect I enjoy art- I always keep a drawing but I do know that it’s getting for the council though when I was pad in my bag. Sometimes it can better. I’m currently still not well homeless- they were no help what be hard to stay positive all the time, enough to go back into full time so ever. If you go to prison they but Crisis keeps me going. Crisis work, but I would definitely like to automatically take your house off was a lifeline. They introduced me give it a go again in the near future. you, with no consideration, and I to Maths, English, Art and Now that I’m into art, I would love was on the housing list for ages, yet Photography, and it keeps me busy. to imagine myself as a famous I still never got anywhere. One Sometimes I’ll stay here all day, painter haha. My trademark in my time, I was the only one bidding every day, until the doors shut, art is homeless people’s legs for a house, and I still didn’t get it. because I know I don’t have much walking in the streets- it reflects If you argue with them, they’ve to go home to. The staff are my past, and every painting has a always got an excuse. I really felt friendly, and for me, it’s something story.
Above, A construction of a boat that Charlie is working on.
Above, The Crisis Skylight building in Newcastle.
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