Hi, my name is Adrian, although I like to be called Ade my mother calls me Adrian when angry (although I’m 40 yrs of age!).

My last career was 15 years as cabin service director for British Airways flying 747’s or known to the public as jumbo jets. My career took me to every corner of the world, as you can imagine I have met most cultures and nationalities, so you could call me well travelled.

Just over 4 years ago, I experienced a traumatic situation and consequently started to take over my life. After not seeking proper counselling my life became unmanageable and the only thing I could use to ease the pain was alcohol.

September 2004 I finally gave up my career because I couldn’t face people anymore, a career that I loved but I knew I had to get out of to get myself well. By July 2005 I was on three litres of vodka a day. I couldn’t afford to keep my lovely home etc because alcohol was the only thing I could use to keep living although it was killing me at the same time. I got myself into a rehab on 19^th July 2005. After spending 12 weeks in rehab I moved onto a second phase. I am now just completing at Touchstones12.

I have a life today where I can look around me and appreciate the simple things in life, which I could never do when I was looking through the bottom of a vodka bottle. Waking up in a clean bed has now given me some hope. Now I’m able to do things for myself. Before I went into rehab I was as good as dead, I had no hope. Touchstones have given hope back to me. I owe my life to the staff, the volunteers and the clients at Touchstones12.

Although I have still got a long way to go, I don’t want to go back to what I had before. Today I want to be as healthy. I know now that there is always someone I can help in the way that people have helped me. Hence, this is why I am now a volunteer worker for a project REACH. I am delighted to volunteer for REACH and I aim to follow this through for the future.

My aim is to help change homelessness for others.

Ade!