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McRaye House, 98-101 Far Gosford Street, Coventry CV1 5EA
Freephone: 0800 111 4371
Telephone: 024 7676 9782
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Service user stories
We’re very proud to have had a major positive impact on the lives of thousands of people over the years.
Most of our residents become successful tenants when they move on from Coventry Cyrenians. Every person we support has a different story to tell. You can read some of them here.
This is EM’s success story , a testament to her resilience, courage, and determination in the face of adversity.
EM arrived in the UK on 26th September 2021 from Eritrea, following a long and traumatic journey in search of safety. Before reaching the UK, she endured nearly a month sleeping rough on the streets of France, facing severe hardship and vulnerability, especially challenging as a woman alone.
Upon arrival, EM was placed in temporary accommodation, where she began the process of rebuilding her life. After receiving her Leave to Remain status, she was evicted from NASS accommodation, further compounding the emotional and psychological strain she had already endured.
EM’s experience of political unrest in Eritrea, combined with the trauma of displacement, led to periods of depression and suicidal thoughts. The uncertainty and isolation she faced during her journey deeply affected her mental health.
Since being supported by Coventry Cyrenians with her Housing Support Worker Reena, EM has made remarkable progress. With compassion, encouragement, and her own determination, she has begun to reclaim her independence and build a brighter future.
EM enrolled at Coventry City College, where she completed her ESOL Entry Level 2 in English. She has shown great motivation to give back to the community and has been actively exploring volunteering opportunities. Although she currently feels less confident in her spoken English, she remains committed to developing her communication skills and is determined to begin volunteering once she feels ready.
EM has also achieved a significant personal milestone by passing her driving theory test, and she is now preparing for her practical driving lessons. She has shared her ambition to buy her own car, which would mark a major step toward independence.
In terms of housing, EM is registered with Coventry Homefinder and is actively bidding for a one-bedroom flat, as she is considered tenancy ready. She understands the responsibilities of independent living, including managing bills, and is eager to move into stable accommodation. EM also plans to find employment in the near future to support herself financially.
Looking ahead, EM dreams of establishing a stable life in the UK, finding meaningful work, building relationships, and eventually reuniting with her family once she is fully settled.
This is EM’s success story — a powerful example of what can be achieved through perseverance, support, and hope for a better future.
Kevin is a 56 year old man who was referred to our services in December 2014. He was sleeping rough and needed longer-term supported accommodation. Kevin had lived in various hostels for many years of his life but was vulnerable and said “I can’t keep living on the streets any more”.
Kevin has faced a number of health issues and last year suffered a stroke that impaired the mobility of his left arm. Kevin also has depression which has been exacerbated by living on the streets.
Since moving to our accommodation, Kevin has met with his support worker on a regular basis and engages with support well. He enjoys the environment of living in a shared house and the company of others around him.
So far efforts have been centred on Kevin’s wish to explore voluntary work, in order to build up his self-confidence. He has been supported to attend the local church group once a week and helps serve meals with the lunch group. In addition to this, he has been very proactive in house meetings, and has helped set up a gardening group.
T is a young man who came in to the Cyrenians service in November 2020. He had been living with his mum following a relationship breakdown but mum was a carer for one of his other siblings & the relationship between T and his mum deteriorated. T found himself homeless. At this point he approached the local authority who referred him to Coventry Cyrenians. We accepted him and he was placed in a shared house.
T has been diagnosed with Asperger’s and also lives with anxiety and depression. He had previously struggled in a shared environment. He is an individual who struggles with communal living and accepting support as he feels he should be capable and able to manage, even though sometimes he is overloaded with information and struggles to prioritise.
We realised for T to have the best experience he needed a very clear and consistent approach so he could understand why we were asking him to do certain things. We worked with him to get into good payment processes to keep his rent under control. We worked with him to have contact with friends but not allow them to negatively impact his accommodation. We enabled him to register and bid on Homefinder to work towards gaining a tenancy of his own.
T has children with an ex-partner who he has always had a great amount of contact with but he was frustrated that this wasn’t allowed in a shared environment. Therefore, as part of moving through the service he was moved to another property with self-contained accommodation. He was only there for a relatively a short period of time before he accepted a tenancy with Citizen Housing.
T was lucky to get a Fresh Start Tenancy which meant his new flat was fully decorated and carpeted, saving him time and money and making the offer look much more attractive right from the start.
Cyrenians Hosing Support Workers helped him to apply for his Community Support Grant and to set up all of his utilities. We have given him tips on how to manage his tenancy and good routines to get into which he is trying to follow.
T has also started work during this period which has also helped with his feeling of independence. He is hoping to start college in September and he has aspirations to work with people who need support, as a social worker or counsellor.
