‘YOU helped me build my new life’ – a Coventry homelessness scheme’s first customer has paid tribute at a party to celebrate its tenth anniversary.
Citizen’s Gateway in Coventry threw a Caribbean-themed party at its HQ to mark a decade of helping homeless people in the city – and customers past and present were invited.
Mark Halan was the first ever customer to move out of the Gateway 10 years ago. He attended the party and spoke to current Citizen customers.
He said: “I feel excited being here 10 years on as it feels like I’m seeing my old family. They helped me build up my new life. I have a job now, I’m married, I have my kids – it’s really great to be back here.
“I’d like to thank the colleagues at Gateway as they helped me a lot – and here I am 10 years on. Thank you so much for everything!”
Mark added Citizen staff supported him in making different applications to the city council.
He said: “I found Gateway a good place to live – if I needed help, I just needed to ask, and the staff would help me. They helped me move into my new home by providing the van and moving my stuff. I’m still living in the same house today.
“I don’t want anyone going through difficulties in life, but I’m sure places like Gateway are here to help.”
The event held at Gateway was also a chance for current Citizen customers living there to celebrate with each other. They read out a speech about what Gateway meant to them, and an apple tree was planted to mark the anniversary.
Pedro Bezerra is currently living at Gateway and said he enjoyed taking part in the celebrations.
He said: “This event is wonderful. You can see it on the residents’ faces – I loved seeing everyone together as one family for the day.
“I read out a speech as I wanted to put into words my feelings since I’ve been living here and how I feel now. When I came here, I felt like I had a difficult life, but the staff helped me to have a different view of my circumstances.
“I split up with my partner and ended up without a home. The colleagues here helped me so much to get through that. I feel much better now, and I have total gratitude for the colleagues here for being kind and always wanting to help.”
The Gateway is the housing association’s scheme for people who have found themselves homeless in the city. It has supported 965 people experiencing homelessness since its launch in 2015.
It provides safe accommodation for 79 adults at a time, and the team works alongside each person to help them gain the confidence and skills they need to live independently.
Peter Gill, Director of Housing Care and Support at Citizen, said: “We’re thrilled that Gateway has reached this key milestone and we’re so proud to have helped hundreds of people over the last decade.
“This scheme goes beyond just providing housing; it is about stabilising lives and offering a foundation for a brighter future to empower individuals to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.
“It was fantastic to see all the customers who attended the celebration and hear from customers past and present.
“I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make the day so special – and to all the colleagues who helped shape Gateway into the life-changing place it is today.
“We want to make a positive difference to our customers and communities – so here’s to the next 10 years of Gateway.”
