Married for 5 years, Sally and Sebastians’ relationship has faced its fair share of ups and downs, but they truly value their bond. In 2024 they moved into Jimmy’s East Road hostel.
Prior to meeting in Cambridge in 2018, Sebastian had a turbulent past with alcohol which eventually led to the loss of his driving licence and, with that, his job stability.
Following periods living in Cambridge, Cardiff, Swansea and Bournemouth together, they returned back to Wales in 2023. Losing their accommodation due to difficult familial relationships, once in Cardiff, they experienced homelessness and struggled with the lack of safety and inadequate facilities in the city. Following being moved on by city wardens they camped in the woods for several months, an experience during which Sally said she “felt emotionally drained”.
These experiences in Wales helped them appreciate the city of Cambridge they knew and also highlighted the importance of having stable accommodation.
In October 2024, they moved into Jimmy’s emergency hostel at East Road. There they immediately started receiving help from the experienced support staff.
“I worked with my support worker to apply for grants to buy clothes and a bike and also gain access to copies of documents, including birth and marriage certificates which would be necessary for future housing applications.” says Sally
Sebastian, who is still struggling with alcohol addiction, is truly grateful for the ongoing support from Jimmy’s.
Their future plans involve securing private rental housing to rebuild their lives and start working again.
“Being homeless is challenging in itself but as a married couple experiencing homelessness we find it particularly challenging to adapt to accommodation that is set up to accommodate individuals. Despite the challenges, we are immensely grateful for the support we’ve received at Jimmy’s. We really enjoy the sense of belonging and have been on trips to the cinema and participated in astronomy sessions.”
Speaking of their time spent rough sleeping Sally and Sebastian shared,
“Generally, you are not comfortable, the ground is hard, you ache. You hear many more sounds, so [even when you do sleep] you are on alert and not totally relaxed.
“Whereas at Jimmy’s you sleep well. Now when we go back out, we wonder how we did it.”
Sebastian acknowledges his alcohol dependency and its effect on their life, and although he has gone through rehab before, he remains committed to change. The couple moved into one of Jimmy’s shared houses early in 2025 where they “hope to find stability and independence, with a stronger relationship and improved emotional well-being.”.
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