Hayden has been homeless, on Bournemouth streets, for a year now, since his son died of meningitis at the age of 7. His history is that of foster care and children's homes, he's only ever known his Mum who currently resides in Bulgaria. His brother is also homeless. Hayden fell into drugs (heroine) and alcohol after his son's death. He has scaled down but wants government assistance with a full detox. He isn't able to get any assistance in Bournemouth because he is assessed as having no local connection, indeed this was the reason sighted during last week's local council rejection interview, where he and his brother were refused local detox assistance.
This failure to be recognised as local, bars them from any local provisions, including housing lists or local detox programs. The thing is neither Hayden or his brother have any local connection anywhere, having grown up through foster care and being moved from home to home. Hayden sells the big issue, sales reach 60 - 100 copies per week. He buys each copy at £1.25 per issue and sells them on at £2.50 each and reckons its somewhat of a living. Though he currently sleeps in local shop doorways, his aim is to raise enough money to privately rent some day.
Hayden left care at the age of 14 - unfortunately his launch into adulthood was dramatic and significant. He was imprisoned for assault of his, then, step-father whilst defending his mother who had endured years of domestic violence and abuse at his hands; Her latest assault of a broken nose, Hayden just couldn't ignore; yet he paid dearly with a 2 yr. custodial sentence, of which he had to serve 22 months. Hayden reached the streets alone at 17 and the rest they say is history.
When asked what he thought of the latest Kindness kills campaign's emphasis on the drug and alcohol issues of the homeless, Hayden simply replied "to be honest, there are more drug and alcohol issues in-doors than on the streets" and I guess he has a point - for that's where many of them originate - before people find their lives spun out onto the streets.
Hayden was to visit his brother in Bournemouth General Hospital today, but he has had to put it off since he hadn't sold enough Big Issues yet and it was already 6 pm. The six mile walk to the hospital would take some doing after a full day of street touting, and weighing it up, Hayden decided to defer until tomorrow; he had 4 boxes worth of the Big Issue yet to shift. After all without any other local assistance - it literally is his "bread and butter"
No comments:
Post a Comment