Charity gave former homeless teen 'everything'

"The patience and the care they had for me, when I was so vulnerable, I have never had anything like it in my entire life."

Tori is one of hundreds of young people in Southampton who have been helped out of homelessness by the charity No Limits.

Whilst the charity doesn't provide direct housing, it advocates for young people and provides a support network, as well as shower and laundry facilities on site.

It is partly funded by Comic Relief - which has just announced at least £1m of grants for charities across the country thanks to a donation by prize-draw company Omaze.

Tori first experienced homelessness at the age of 14, and was on the brink of having to sleep rough on the street by the time she was 16.

She said it had been "very rough and uncertain" for her as a teenager, with housing and education "not a certainty".

A council social worker "worked extremely hard" to help find Tori permanent accommodation, and introduced her to No Limits.

"I was extremely stressed and anxious during this time of my life - more than anything, I just wanted somewhere to live that was secure," she said.

"The patience and the care they [No Limits] had for me, when I was so vulnerable, I have never had anything like it in my entire life."

Tori has now been going to No Limits for seven years, and has become one of the charity's youth ambassadors - a group of volunteers who are involved in shaping the services for young people.

She said: "My life would look very different if No Limits didn't exist."

"For someone so young and so vulnerable, they gave me everything."

James, who is a project manager for No Limits, said the daily lives of the people the charity helped were "incredibly bleak and dehumanising".

"It's so much more than living on the street – they haven't slept, stripped of belongings, nowhere to turn," he said.

"I think what we have to offer, and what young people value most about No Limits is the relationships we build and the level of care we offer."

The Southampton-based charity said it had seen a 20% increase in the number of young people needing help with housing.

"For some people, No Limits is their whole support network, and for others it could be a small part of their story, but it's something that's there and consistent for them," James added.

A new partnership between Comic Relief and Omaze will see the later donate at least £1m to help charities tackling homelessness among young people across the country.

Part of the donation, which comes from funds raised by the prize-giving company's latest Million Pound House Draw, will be given to No Limits.

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