My name is Mark and I am an ex-resident of Henley Court. In 2015, after a two-year relapse, I moved into Quest/Henley Court. I had hit rock bottom and woke up to the reality of my situation. I went to see Dr Maggie Kirk at St Paul’s hostel and made a decision to turn my life around. My decision proved to be the best thing I ever did and I have remained clean and sober since. I now volunteer at both St Paul’s homeless hostel and the Homeless Safe Bus on a Thursday with Dr Kirk and Street Services. I am also training to be a landscape gardener and in future hope to work part time in this field and also as a Support Worker, helping others through the difficult experiences I know all too well.

Henley Court isn’t just a building, it is a both a home and a community. Everybody there shares a common purpose and special bond, bringing people from all walks of life together. There are 3 communal areas that provide the residents with somewhere to go where they can reintegrate with each other and build a community. This helps promote social inclusion and research highlights the importance of having a sense of belonging and acceptance as a member or part of something. A sense of belonging is a human need, just like the need for food and shelter. Feeling that you belong is most important when searching for value in life and in coping with the intensely painful emotions that our residents experience on their journey through recovery (Hall, 2018). 

With the support of Henley Court, I have come a long way. I understand the need for a positive, welcoming and friendly environment in a person’s recovery and therefore would love to be part of fundraising and the revamping of Henley Court.

The three communal spaces are in need of some vital TLC so that they can once again become the community hubs of the building and provide a safe and comfortable shared space where residents can feel relaxed and take pride in their surroundings.

For this reason, I have pledged to tandem skydive at 15,000ft to raise money and transform the communal areas into bright, inspiring social spaces to help encourage and improve the psychological and emotional well-being of people.