My name is Paul, I really don’t like asking for help, I've spent the last 20+ years helping LGBT+ people out, with a multitude of issues, and will always strive to help others who ask, but often fail to ask for help when I need it most, and suffer in silence, but I’ve reached a point where I am truly struggling.

For the past two years I’ve been dealing with chronic fatigue, which is still under investigation, alongside long-standing learning and processing difficulties. Over the last several months this has become much worse, and I’ve been signed off sick. This has made it hard to look for on going work and keep up any momentum, and financially things have slowly unraveled.

At the same time, my motorbike — which is my main form of transport — has developed electrical problems. I’ve already spent money trying to diagnose and fix it, which has gone on my credit card, increasing my debt to over £5k, and the repayments are starting to cripple me... The bike isn’t just transport. It’s how I get out of the house, see people, and manage my mental health. Riding helps me clear my head and escape low moods, especially when my energy is limited and without it, I’m much more isolated.

On top of this, I need to move by the end of January as my landlord is selling the property to downsize, which means finding a deposit and covering moving costs at very short notice is also going to be difficult, and with having anxiety about finding a new place and people to live with, in February, I’m also due to have two operations. which is adding to the anxiety. Both procedures, I will need a safe place to rest and recover for a few days afterwards. That recovery time will also affect how quickly I can get back into work.

Everything has hit at once:

Long-term illness and reduced ability to work

Growing debt from essential costs

Urgent housing costs

Upcoming surgery and recovery time

I’m asking for help to get through this intense but temporary period — to stabilise things enough that I can focus on recovery, sort my housing, and get back on my feet.

What the money will be used for

Any support will go towards:

Covering a housing deposit and moving costs

Giving me a small buffer to recover properly after surgery

Repairing my motorbike so I can travel and stay connected

Cover my monthly minimum payments on my credit card debt

If you’re able to donate, thank you — it genuinely means a lot. If you can’t, sharing this page is just as appreciated. Even knowing people care helps more than I can easily put into words.

Thank you for reading ❤️

Paul X