Hi, my name is Tyrone. I really need help to try and get through this dark long tunnel. I never imagined I would have to write something like this, but I’m currently in a really difficult financial situation and I’m asking for help to get through the next few weeks and, most importantly, keep myself housed.

I’ve recently moved into a new home and was doing everything I could to rebuild some stability in my life, after experiencing homelessness all year and not being able to save any money in my first office job as a result. I have been working and trying to become financially independent, my stepdad being terminally ill, but a month long sick note has led to my job paying me nothing as I have exhausted all my SSP, and I currently cannot cover my essential living costs. Last pay, I exhausted my entire pay check on covering deposit and rent for moving in to my new place and it scares me of the thought of being thrown straight out.

My Universal Credit situation has also left me without the financial support I had hoped would be available to me, and the local support I’ve approached has not been able to provide the emergency assistance I need. I have therefore found myself with a very real risk of being unable to afford essentials despite actively trying to work and get myself back on stable ground. I have CPTSD and the prolonged crises I have experienced this year unfortunately hospitalised me at the beginning of the month. I am estranged from family with very little support from anyone. I am still in probation at work so I have no sick pay while I recover from my physical and mental strains.

This is particularly frightening because I have experienced housing instability before. Getting into my new room was supposed to be the beginning of rebuilding my life, and I am doing everything I can to make sure I don’t lose that stability again. I am desperate to keep this room so I can finally start to actively heal and recover and turn my life around after my mental health ruined my university degree. I feel like I’m squandering my last opportunity of a turnaround and I’m so desperate for emergency relief but even my local council would not help.

The money raised will go directly towards essential costs such as:

• Rent and keeping my accommodation secure

• Food and basic household necessities

• Travel to work and essential appointments

• Utility and other unavoidable living costs

• Giving me enough breathing room to get through this temporary gap in income

I am not asking for money to fund a lifestyle. I am asking for help with the basics while I get myself back on my feet.

I am continuing to look for solutions, pursue available support and work towards becoming financially stable again. My goal is simply to get through this difficult period without losing the home I have only recently managed to secure.

If you are able to donate, even a small amount would genuinely make a difference. £5, £10 or £20 may not seem like much individually, but collectively it could give me the breathing room I desperately need right now.

If you aren’t able to donate, sharing this fundraiser with someone else would mean just as much to me.

I know that asking for help like this is difficult, but I’m choosing to be honest about where I am rather than risk everything falling apart in silence.

Dealing with identity problems and mental health issues while growing up in an African home proved difficult and I’ve tried my hardest to ensure I am being sensible in building the independence I desperately must possess. Please help me keep a hold of that so I can stay safe.

Thank you for reading, sharing or supporting me in any way. It genuinely means more than I can put into words.