After suffering a violent husband, mental health issues and losing her children, Jenny discovered Porchlight by chance, simply by walking past the door and seeing the sign. Jenny is now 34 and her life has changed for the better.

Jenny was born in Dover and first became homeless when she was 18 after losing a job on the ferries after two years. She also had aspirations of becoming a nurse, ‘I did my nurse training but I was blown from that due to my mental health, that’s all I ever wanted to do really.’ Jenny went on to experience violence from her partner and suffered from drug misuse and mental ill health.

Jenny never wanted to bother her family, ‘My mum and my sister are over Deal way. I don’t really contact them very much, a couple of times a year, I don’t like to worry them really, my mum says “Oh, just phone call”.’ I don’t like to. Everyone has got their own problems haven’t they?’

Undiagnosed manic depression

Jenny was sectioned when she was 24 suffering with previously undiagnosed manic depression, ‘After I was released I was walking along the road in Canterbury with only a bag and a box with a plant in it and I saw the charity’s sign, so I thought I’d pop in and they actually got me a room that night.’

Porchlight found Jenny a room in their emergency accommodation project on Whitstable Road. She eventually moved to a caravan site after meeting her partner. Unfortunately due to violence and the lack of support from her partner once her son and daughter were born Jenny’s mental health deteriorated once again, ‘When my son was born I became ill again, hallucinating, so they sectioned me and took the children, six months I spent and then they got the medicine right.’

Getting help and support

On her release from hospital Jenny again found herself moving between poor accommodation and squats. She was also unable to have any access to her children because she could not provide suitable accommodation. It was at this point that Jenny discovered Porchlight had projects helping people in Dover and had just opened Prospects, a supported accommodation project specifically for people living with enduring mental health issues. Jenny was the first person to move in to Prospects in 2005 and says, ‘I’m very lucky that someone has a project like that going.’

From here Jenny has never looked back, after spending around 9 months at Prospects and receiving help from Porchlight’s Mental Health and Resettlement Workers, she moved in to her own flat, ‘I count my blessings every night’, she says, ‘I really look after this place I think everyone needs an independent life.’

After 18 month’s of floating support Jenny is settled now and she has been able to gain increased access at weekends to her children, who are now six and four. She is also very keen to help people who find themselves in similar situations, ‘Every time I see someone homeless, I’ll say “have you got a hostel?” and then I’ll direct them up to the Dover projects. That’s my way of paying Porchlight back.’

Despite the way she has been treated by people Jenny has got close to in her life, she is still able to take each person on their merits, ‘I’ve got two good friends. You have to give people the benefit of the doubt in order to get anywhere, I do like people. The last few years I have met a few nice people, old school friends and that, it bucks you up a bit.’

Fighting the stigma

Jenny has also completed service user involvement training with Porchlight and is keen to influence the way mental health services are delivered in her home town by applying to be part of the local mental health NHS Trust Board. She would like to change privacy and dignity procedures alongside the perception of homeless people, particularly those with mental ill health, ‘I used to be quite intelligent, I have done my A-levels. Some attitudes toward mental health patients are terrible’, she says.

Jenny finds the time to tend to her allotment and attend local art groups run by Porchlight. There are also coffee mornings and trips to places such as the Tate Gallery which Jenny hears about through her old key worker who still likes to keep in touch to ask how she is getting on.

It is with the help of Porchlight and the determination and commitment of Jenny to change her life that she is where she is now. Jenny now has the opportunity to concentrate on the future, ‘I am trying to keep well. I did get out of hospital and I proved them all wrong. I’m just staying focussed on keeping my flat and keeping my kids’.

Visit the Porchlight website.

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