Stories of people we've supported
Darren
Darren has a permanent mental health condition and moved to the Sudbury area from another part of the country to help take care of a close relative who was sick. However, the day he moved, the relative passed away. Darren was on his own in a strange place with no support system – but thankfully his relative had told him about Number 72, so he came to our café one day and rang the bell.
'There was a whole range of things I was worrying about – rent, council tax, benefits, and I was still grieving too and trying to manage my mental health condition. Sometimes I can be having a conversation and get a bit confused and talk about stuff I don’t mean to talk about, but nobody here judges me for being a bit different. They treat everyone equally and fairly. They don’t say I’m backward or rude or arrogant. And being here has been wonderful, it’s really helped my mental health. I’ve made some really good friends. They just ask how you’re feeling, if you’re having a good day or a bad day, and you’re able to get your feelings out.
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'It was my birthday yesterday and they all gave me the biggest cheer! They bought a cake and clubbed together to get me a pressie I really wanted – a personal CD player. I love music, it helps me, so it was so nice of them to get me something that I wanted – it really, really touched my heart.
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'And the people here at Number 72 help me with the practical things too. When I moved to the area, the Housing Association put me in a 2 bed place half an hour from Sudbury. Lesley and the others are helping me find a 1 bed in Sudbury. It will save me £100 a month and be closer to Number 72.
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'I don’t know how I would have survived without Number 72. I would be lost – so would the other people who come here. Where else could we turn to? This is our special place, our lifeline, our home from home – a family for people who don’t have one.'