Moving forward: Tymara's story

According to the charity Centrepoint, 86,000 young people are homeless every year, and there are many more people who do not show up in official figures, who find a temporary solution by staying with family members or friends or in other insecure accommodation. This is known as hidden homelessness.

Like me, they often find themselves homeless through no fault of their own – because of family breakdown, mental health issues, after leaving care or because they have moved away from home to work or study but then found rents are unaffordable.

I grew up in Dorset with my mum but then our relationship broke down due to my mum’s and my own mental health issues. After that, I moved to Bristol to live with my aunt, however this relationship also broke down. After sofa surfing for a couple of months, a chance referral to 1625 Independent People's Bristol Foyer changed everything.

Living in supported housing was one of the best years of my life. It was difficult at times, and at first I was so nervous, but I had the best support worker in the world who was thorough and professional, so through this trusting relationship I developed the confidence I needed. It encouraged my stability and personal growth to ensure I could achieve my full potential. I had the opportunity to be young, but most importantly, it was a safe place.

I went on to graduate with a BA (Hons) in Psychosocial Studies from Goldsmith’s University, which I graduated with 3% off a first. I then returned to 1625 Independent People – but this time as a support worker helping other young people facing homelessness. I’ve recently just been accepted to do a Master’s in Social and Public Policy at the University of York.

I am writing this because my story could have been very different without this support. 1625ip are supported by Deloitte’s One Million Futures social impact strategy.

The team from Deloitte have been raising funds – over £30,000 so far – taking part in fundraising activities like sleeping out for a night, climbing Kilimanjaro and walking the Coast-to-Coast. We are so inspired by the incredible efforts of Deloitte staff.

Deloitte’s support has also enabled us to establish initiatives to engage with employers in the region to provide education, employment and training opportunities for young people.

Additionally, 1625ip has benefitted from more than £50,000 of pro bono services, with Deloitte helping us with Gift Aid, VAT, GDPR and implementing a new human resources system. These are all things that would be challenging for a charity like ours to implement due to a lack of resources.

Through our partnership with Deloitte, we can provide a higher quality of support to young people - we are so grateful for Deloitte’s support in helping vulnerable young people to live independently and thrive.  You are helping us change lives, like I was helped to change mine.