“In 1975, in December, I was homeless, pregnant and with 4 children already.
We were sent to a hostel in Peckham, an old work-house turned into a homeless hostel. It was all very scary, there were many very damaged people there and I was desolate. After 3 weeks, just a few days before Christmas, we were moved to an ex-fire station in Lewisham. It was better, we had two rooms, a toilet and a cooker in the entrance lobby.
My 5th child was born on 29th December at Lewisham hospital. 3 weeks later, my partner and all the children went down with flu, but we were told we had a place to go in New Cross. It was a condemned house with no hot water and a hole in the ceiling big enough for a bath to fall through. We had to move there, we were given no other option. But we did get a grant from St Martin’s to buy a kettle, some bedding and a second-hand washing machine, which made all the difference.
We coped, and gradually got on our feet. A big family – I was only 25 with five children under 8. My two girls, his girl and boy and our daughter.
We raised them and I eventually went to work for a children’s charity in Hackney, then on to Uni and to a career in social work. I’m over 70 now and have 12 grandchildren and great grandchildren. 3 of those girls of ours are grannies themselves.
It was people like you at St Martin’s who gave us dignity and hope. I never forget and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
