Warwick dad who spent months living in a tent says life is now 'looking great for him'

A new dad from Warwick who spent months living in a tent over cold winter months says life is now 'looking great for him'.

And now he has joined an appeal for more landlords in Warwickshire to work with the housing trust which put a roof over his head.

Simon Russell, 31, now has his own place with his new baby boy, Lucas, and his girlfriend Emily.

It is different to last year, when he was living in a tent by a Warwick riverbank between December and March. Having struggled with drug use, he had lost his job and his home.

He said: “I was living in this tent and it was horrible. I was frozen. It was wet and cold.

"I tried to keep out of the way by a river. My girlfriend stuck by me though and she did stay with me on a good few occasions.

"I was just living and thinking, ‘What’s the point?’ Basically, I was on the verge of giving up.

“I was having to eat things like crisps and cold pasties. Obviously I was struggling for money because I had lost my job. I used to borrow a couple of quid off my mum: £2 or £3 to go to Lidl.

"I didn’t really eat properly for three months.”

Things began to get better for Simon when he sought help through his doctor, and was supported firstly through P3 charity.

This then led to him being referred to Derventio Housing Trust, which set up in Warwick two years ago and offers accommodation to people who have recently been made homeless.

Soon, Derventio had secured space in a shared property for Simon and in March 2022 he had a roof over his head again.

He said: “I can’t describe the feeling. I felt so welcomed by the other residents there and I felt safe. It was just amazing. Being in a tent was so bad and the house I was moved into, in Whitnash, was really nice as well.”

Now Derventio Housing Trust is appealing for more property owners to consider leasing their Warwickshire properties through them, so its housing officers can help more people like Simon get back on their feet.

Through Derventio, Simon was supported in accessing doctor’s services and has now made so much progress he has moved on into his own council rented home.

He is retraining in landscaping and construction in order to find his way back into work.

Also through Derventio’s Sylvester’s Fund – a charitable pot of money set up to help people with one-off items – he also gained some furniture for his new property.

Simon added: “I’m doing great now. We had our little miracle in December last year when my girlfriend gave birth to our son.

“If I could help other people now I’m in a better place, then I’d love to be part of that. I’ve been through it myself. It would be nice to see other people not having to suffer and sleep in doorways.”

Any property owners interested in finding out more about leasing accommodation should contact Ben Ludford on: [email protected]