Tamara's story

Four years ago Tamara was stuck on the streets of London, cold, hungry and fleeing an unimaginable childhood of domestic abuse that she could no longer bear. But in time, Tamara's story changed completely.

She came to Centrepoint and - with the help of the homeless charity's support and development workers - began the painstaking process of piecing her life back together. With ongoing care, understanding and training, that's exactly what she did.

Then and now like night and day thanks to Centrepoint

Now, Tamara is a third year psychology student at a leading British university who works closely with children in schools. She is intelligent, dedicated and has an enormously bright future - and she credits Centrepoint for the turn around.

Tamara's life then and now is like night and day. She plans to begin her PhD in two years time and will specialise in mental health care for young people - not least homeless young people. At the end of every day, she goes home to a flat she can call her own thanks in part to the Centrepoint Rent Support Scheme, which helped her with her deposit and first month's rent .

Tamara's flat is her pride and joy. And after a lifetime of fear, heartache, and instability, it's a place she has been delighted to make entirely her own.

Homelessness a distant memory

As she will tell you herself, Tamara's story has a happy ending:

"I've done it all myself - with Centrepoint's help," she says. "It was only floorboards when I moved in, but now the things I need are there - my bed, the fridge, the cooker... It's taken me a very long time and there's lots still to get, but I'm very house proud.

"I'll never forget the first time I knew I was moving in there. I wasn't going to be homeless anymore and I went to the front door and peered through the letterbox saying: ‘That's my bathroom! That's my hallway! That's my back window!' And when I moved in I just kept walking in and out of all the rooms - I'd only ever lived in places with one room, I'd never had a living room or a kitchen.

"All my life, especially as a homeless young person, I've wondered what it must be like to live like everyone else does," she says. "And now here I am, and I can't believe it's mine. It's wonderful. Thank you Centrepoint."