"I was kicked out of my homeless unit because I wasn’t engaging with their assessment process. I just couldn’t, because of my state of mind at that time. They tried to find somewhere else for me, but I couldn’t afford the other options. So I had to leave with all my stuff in bin bags. I walked around the city overnight, and on the Saturday afternoon I came down to Hot Chocolate and spoke to the team. I didn’t know what to expect, I just needed help. I managed to find a friend to crash with, but you guys got in touch with loads of places to help me find somewhere proper. Now I have my own flat and it’s going well. But I’d still be crashing on my friend’s sofa if it wasn’t for Hot Chocolate."
Ewan, 18.
"When I first came to Hot Chocolate, I was terrified. I’d been bullied badly at school so I was really withdrawn. I’d sit in the corner of the Chilling Room not speaking to anybody. I’d been dragged in by a friend and I stayed because it was dry and warm. But over time I started to open up. I started doing 1-1s with Lauren. It was a safe space to talk, and I wasn’t judged. I gained a lot of confidence in that time. My time here feels like a firework: it started small and exploded into something beautiful."
Verena, 17.