Nai's Story

Nai came to P3 Charity’s Safe Spaces centre in Cheltenham after being homeless for just over a year. Having gone from sofa surfing to sleeping on the streets, she knew something had to change. “I tried everything I could to avoid homelessness”, she says. “I stayed with a friend, but due to my health issues and depression, she just couldn’t help me any longer.” 

For Nai, the hardest part wasn’t just the practical challenges, it was the emotional weight of asking for help. She says,  

“Embarrassment was the biggest thing for me. Getting to a certain age in life – I’m almost 42 – and not having a penny to my name and I can’t do anything with my life. Asking for help was the biggest obstacle.” 

When Nai first arrived at Safe Spaces, she was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She recalls how “emotionally broken” she was at the start of her journey. Talking to the P3 team for the first time, Nai says, “I just couldn’t stop crying. I’d had enough of living hour to hour.” 

It was the compassion of the team that began to shift things for her. “The empathy from my support worker was reassuring in itself. Once I got my offer to stay [at Safe Spaces], all I felt was relief.” 

“Everybody here was open to listen and understand my situation. The care they showed really stuck with me – noticing the little things in me, even though they help so many [people].” Nai points to how the team were quick to recognise how an ongoing skin condition that Nai suffered with meant that she needed a room that would give her both the comfort and privacy and deserved. 

At P3 Safe Spaces, it’s these small acts of understanding that make a big difference. The service doesn’t just offer shelter: It offers a foundation and a safe place to rest to rebuild confidence and take the next steps toward long-term stability. 

Nai highlights that the staff go above and beyond, even within in short time they have with each person. Safe Spaces provides emergency accommodation up to twelve weeks, and it’s often a vital first step toward a permanent home, helping people develop tailored support plans that address their personal needs and goals. As Nai put it, “You build a little family even in the short term, and that all comes from being able to have a safe space and open door to the team. I honestly think the team make the space: They’re all good people.” 

Having moved on from emergency accommodation, Nai is now in longer-term housing with P3 and is working through her support plan at her own pace. Living in her own one-bedroom flat, she says the experience has been “completely brilliant”. 

“In future, I would love to be in a position to help others – to give back to those who helped me. I would love to do outreach work. I volunteered today to do a cooking class here once a month: That’s my starting step.” 

Nai’s journey is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when people are given the right support at the right time. Through Safe Spaces and follow-on housing, P3 is helping people like Nai in Cheltenham and beyond to rebuild their lives with dignity, purpose and community at the heart of it all. 

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