top of page
mike-hindle-xl_MQrtiuvg-unsplash_edited.jpg

Our Peer Mentor Programme

Our Peer Mentor programme brings together a team of volunteers with lived experience that will work closely with willing participants to inspire and support transformation through goals ranging from living skills to improving wellbeing to recovery & rehabilitation.

 

Our peer mentors have all overcome barriers in life themselves, including - but not limited to - homelessness, substance misuse, mental health challenges, and/or offending behaviour.  They can talk the talk because they have walked the walk.

Michael's story

Michael is our incredible Peer Mentor Coordinator. Michael started off in peer mentoring by taking part in KBOP's co-production forum around a year ago - the forum made him feel like he had a voice, like his experience mattered. When the Peer Mentor Coordinator role came up, he was encouraged to apply, and is now inspiring so many others.

​

Read his story below.

RS223_CentreForHomelessnessMerythOvers_101-lpr_edited.jpg
RS331_CentreForHomelessnessLondonEdit_24-lpr_edited.jpg
RS351_CenterForHomelessnessEdit_21-lpr_edited.jpg

Centre for Homelessness Impact

"

I used to always ask ‘why me’? I had suffered so much my entire life and it felt so, so unfair. Now in recovery, I realise two fundamental facts. Firstly it wasn’t just me. Far from it. 

 

And as for ‘why ME’? I now know….it’s so I can help YOU.

 

Let me explain. 

 

All this adversity in my life - a childhood of dysfunction, poverty, neglect and abuse; those countless dark days of the blackest despair and depression too, when I couldn’t motivate myself to even get a shower; those days when I just wanted to die; the days when I tried to make that happen; the years and years lost in addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling - habits honed and perfected over decades trying to cope and avoid the agonising despair in my heart and soul of a lifetime of believing, without a shadow of doubt, that I was a defective, worthless, piece of shit… are now my greatest gifts. 

 

My life - all that suffering - now has meaning, purpose and value. I am the very best version of myself. I am finally realising my potential as a human being. It is my mission in life to help others do the same.  

 

Because by overcoming these barriers and living a contented, peaceful and joyful life, know this is possible for everybody else too! Nobody can tell me I don’t get it, or I don’t understand. I have been there, done it and bought the bloody t-shirt! 

 

If I can recover, anybody can. It really is as simple as that. Whatever their barriers, I will find someone who has walked that walk before. 

 

No matter how bad things seem, there is hope. You can heal. You can get through. I give you my word. 

 

Sometimes all we need is somebody to believe in us until we can believe in ourselves. That’s where we come in.

 

So come and join with us at KBOP Peer Mentoring, and turn your TRAUMA into your TRIUMPH. 

Michael 

Peer Mentor Coordinator, KBOP

Are you or is someone you know sleeping rough?

Real People, Real Lives

We provide support to real people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, in order to help them live independent and fulfilling lives.

 

Read about Marta*, Gijjar* and Lisa*, along with experiences of other individuals we have supported:

 

*not participants' real names

umit-bulut-qbTC7ZwJB64-unsplash.jpg

MARTA'S STORY

...Having mapped out next steps with her support worker, Marta felt understood, encouraged and ready to apply for jobs again.

anna-vander-stel-zimQNLdnKp0-unsplash.jpg

GIJJAR'S STORY

...After intensive support which saw Gijjar now managing his mental health well and celebrating sobriety from addiction, his employment aspirations began to really progress.

jarritos-mexican-soda-kFEb8yigiuQ-unsplash.jpg

LISA'S STORY

...Lisa was quickly linked into a very proactive engagement worker and feels she couldn’t have been supported any better.

bottom of page