“The day The Wallich got in touch, I was at breaking point. It had been a hard 18 months. They’re lifesavers.
I was knocking on doors for help and kept having them shut in my face the whole time because I didn’t have a duty. To be honest, I’d had enough.
In the woods for 11 months was good and bad isn’ it. Alright in the summer, hard in the winter. The wet was interesting – talk about wet behind the ears, I mean, literally! You’ve got to have a laugh about it now.”
So when Andre was going through a tough time, he felt he needed to go to his only support network in Neath Port Talbot. His sister and friends were his local connection.
When he’d exhausted trying to move to the area, he decided his only option was to set up camp there.
Andre built himself a small log fixture in the words, he had a log burner and some friends who checked on him.
Luckily, Andre’s friends were living at The Wallich’s Ty Raena house, and put him in touch with us.
“When I first moved in there it was the first home I’d had in ages. Just brilliant. To be fair, everything you need is in that room.
Whoever gets in there because they’re homeless, or whatever, should count themselves lucky. It’s a good set up, I like it.”
There’s 12 self-contained flats at Ty Raena. They all have a shower, fridge and cooking facilities, plus their own code for their door to feel safe.
When Andre first moved in, we initially put him on the top floor. But we could see he was struggling on the stairs some days due to a health condition. So as soon as we could, we moved him to a lower floor.
“It’s good the guys come do to room checks, because I can be a messy git to be honest – always chucking stuff on my bed. There’s structure, that’s good.
I was there about a year and a half, I was. And it was good. The staff if I ever needed anything, they were downstairs. Awesome.”
The staff at Ty Raena put on events for the residents and when Andre lived there, he was up for any activity; cooking on a budget, gardening, quizzes and coffee mornings. These activities are part of becoming independent.
“I loved the cooking and the plants. I’ll sow some now in my new place.”
Andre’s support at The Wallich said he never missed a bill and when he became ready to move on, we helped him navigate his next steps to a more permanent home in the area.
The Wallich Prevention and Wellbeing Service helped Andre to set up his electricity and to furnish the one-bedroom flat.
Our Support Workers know what’s out there and how to apply for funds for essential items that many people don’t have.
“They helped me with the head work, I’ll tell you that. It’s the least stressful move I’ve ever had.
My sister gave me a fridge-freezer, but they [The Wallich] sorted me out with bedding, a washing machine, microwave, slow cooker and an air fryer. It would have cost me a lot of money if I had to buy all that to start.
They’re worth they’re weight in gold, I’ll tell you that. I’m genuinely grateful for them.”
“The future now looks much better than from two years ago. More positive.
I thought I was going to be in that woods forever. Thinking, how did my life come to this?
When I got the phone call [to move in with The Wallich], I was on the verge of giving up. I had a big beard like that, like Grizzly Adams!
Since I lived in the woods, I’ve come out a better person. I appreciate everything so much more. Running water, stuff like that. We take too much for granted.
Everything is falling into place nicely now. Settling in. I’m a terrible hermit sometimes, hiding away. That’s why The Wallich are good as well, getting involved like, you know.”
Andre will soon be volunteering in his new community at the Foodbank.
“It’s nice to give something back, especially since I’ve used services myself. Good way to meet the community too.
I’m enjoying cooking again. Shepherd’s Pie I’ll cook this week and I’ve got more life skills now.”
Even though Andre is coming to the end of his formal support, the team at Neath Port Talbot Prevention and Wellbeing service are able to provide one-off advice and guidance for service users like Andre, even after they’ve moved out.
Although they have been working with him to foster independence, Andre knows his Support Workers, Nicola and Nigel, are just at the other end of the phone if he needs them.
At The Wallich, our staff don’t only help people at the point of crisis, they’re often a safety net which keep people in Wales from returning to homelessness ever again.