TRANSCRIPT

28 years ago, on the cusp of my 22nd birthday, I packed my bags, and I set off to London to work with young men who were experiencing homelessness. This was cause for much concern from my parents, they were hoping for a teacher, but armed with my values goggles I landed in London. 

London was new, London was different, and I loved every moment of it. It was eye opening and challenging, a world I’d never experienced before. 

Working in Southeast London against the backdrop of the Stephen Lawrence civil case, seeing the challenges for many of the young men I worked with. I knew that driving for social justice was what I wanted to do with my life. I think this for me was when I truly understood my purpose. 

Working in hostels wasn’t always easy and I found myself questioning some of the approaches very early on. Back then it was a very traditional model of three strikes and you were out and this didn’t always sit comfortably with me. I began to challenge this at meetings, and I didn’t often get traction but I could certainly challenge it within myself. I can remember one day having an interaction with a young man, he was probably older than myself actually, I don’t even remember now what it was about but I remember going upstairs to the office and opening a filing cabinet drawer to take out a form that would’ve been a final written warning. I don’t know what it was or why I stopped but I knew in the moment I held all the power.  

I had the power to make someone homeless again or not. I closed the drawer, I went back downstairs. I still don’t even remember the outcome but what I do remember is the awareness that hit me about the choices I could make and the impact they could have on another person’s life – positively or negatively.  

I had a choice about that power, I could hold it loosely or I could hold it tightly.