Cardinal Hume - Simon's story

From supported accommodation to trustee

Simon was 17 when he first came to the Cardinal Hume Centre. He had been sleeping rough in Westminster for months, moving between hostels, drop-ins and nights on the street, trying to stay safe.

‘I was in survival mode all the time,’ he says. ‘The Centre was one of the first places that felt safe enough to come in, sit down, have a cup of tea and not worry about what was coming next.’

At the time, Simon was dealing with the effects of a violent and abusive home life, homelessness, addiction and the constant risk that comes with living on the street as a young person. Staff at the Centre recognised how vulnerable he was and worked quickly to help him get off the streets and into supported accommodation.

That first room in the hostel gave Simon something he had not had for a long time – an actual base.

‘It was the first settled point I’d had in a long time,’ he says. ‘Having somewhere safe to be meant I did not have to stay in survival mode all the time.’

Over the next two years, Simon came in and out of the Centre as his circumstances changed. He received practical support with housing, benefits and longer-term accommodation, but what stayed with him most was how he was treated.

‘People worked with compassion, without judgement, but with boundaries. That stayed with me. It is still how I work now’

That sense of being seen and valued became a turning point.

‘I think the Centre gave me a sense that I had value. When you are a homeless young person, that is not something you hear very often. At the Centre, there was always a sense that what you had to offer mattered.’

That belief helped Simon begin to see a future for himself. With support from the staff here, he found stable accommodation, avoided a prison sentence, and began taking up new opportunities. He trained as a sports coach, worked in youth engagement, and went on to build a career in homelessness services.

He later became a service manager at Thames Reach, leading homelessness services in south London, before moving into psychology. Simon is now studying for a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology while continuing to work in homelessness and mental health.

Over the years, Simon stayed connected to the Centre – first by sharing his story, then by joining the Service Development Committee, and now as a trustee.

‘I wanted to give something back to an organisation that had such a huge impact on my life. I would not be where I am now without the Cardinal Hume Centre.’

As a trustee, Simon brings lived experience, frontline leadership and clinical training. He is committed to making sure lived experience shapes services, and that staff are supported to do this work well.

‘The Centre helped me survive, but more than that, it helped me believe I had something to offer. That changed everything.’