A woman I met at a chatty ‘get together’  asked me what I did. I hate the question, not because I’m ashamed of what I do but I think people are too quick to define each other by the work they do and the status that gives you. When the work I did wasn’t strictly […]

Hello everyone, it’s John Chiko once again. Today I will be talking about the migrant community of Coventry, which of course I am a part of as a national from Zimbabwe. So, Coventry has a very diverse migrant community, as with the whole of West Midlands. There are people from all over the world, with […]

The pungent aroma of freshly ground coffee, the delicious odour of croissants baked with almonds, the hustle and bustle of many feet as they clamour for attention at the counter. I notice a reflection and I stare through myself as I gaze longingly at the reaches beyond my reach. My eyes sting from the bitter […]

TEXT FROM AUDIO There’s a difference at the moment. There are a lot of people who are computer illiterate but nowadays people start using tablets and phones from a very early age.  So, it‘’s not so much of a problem for them as it used to be for the older generation who have never used them […]

“Prior to the pandemic we would highlight people with health needs who were rough sleeping.  Get them off the street, put them into ICN beds and have kind of wrap around physical health support with me, and the specialist homeless GP practices, and give them respite.  It prevents hospital admissions basically. So the model for […]

These are stone cold facts for me, anyway. Some guy is at the centre of this Coronation who doesn’t represent one iota of the masses. Meanwhile people have been running around Tescos buying paper plates and jelly to celebrate. I get that people want an escape and all that but there is no out.   We’ve […]

My major issue is not drugs, it’s mental health. Put it this way, my reality is just different from others but I see addiction and mental health issues as being indivisible. They are both symptoms of homelessness rather than direct causes of it. For example how can OCD be mental health and addiction not, when […]

The atmosphere is muggy and there’s a sour smell in the flat, caused by the mice behind the cupboards and in the walls and by the rotting carpet.  The windows are sealed shut and haven’t been washed in years.  Two fans, placed as strategically as possible given the absence of plug points and with the […]

Hello everyone, it’s John Chiko. So today, I will be talking about the different types of homelessness. Now, homelessness comes in various facets and conditions. It is something that I learnt during my first few weeks joining Groundswell’s Listen Up! I have experienced homelessness I, however, did not understand the type of homelessness that I […]

Am I lonely, or am I sad My head keeps telling me I’m just bad An invite by zoom, or, dare I try a room I’m so scared to try, my brain might fry I look for an uplift, to lighten my mind shift Will they show some care, and just be fair One day […]

In this piece, Paul talks about the way the system wastes your valuable time. Too often people think that people experiencing homelessness are not creating because they are too busy surviving but there a massive desire amongst many people with experience of homelessness to be creative and we as a a group and as individuals, […]

In this report Mahesh uses his personal and original writing style to share his frustration at the way the system continues to make the same mistakes, seemingly learning nothing from the costs of the mistakes that it keeps on making. It is worth reading these reports a few times and taking a bit of time […]

Hello everyone, it’s John Chiko. Today I am going to be talking about the importance of family structures. For most people, the first house or first home that they live in is their family home. The home that is inhabited by their direct family. Their father, their mother, their brothers, and sisters. It is these […]

At the moment, it’s kind of half remote and half face to face. I think they are going to keep the remote side because it’s cheaper but it’s not all bad to be honest. There are advantages to it. Our reach is lot more, and we can do a lot more with the money available. […]