A Wexham man who has battled addiction and homelessness has opened up about how his life has changed since receiving help from a North Wales housing association.

Mark Birchall has battled drug addiction since the age of 15 and said he “lost everything”, having been to prison, lost his partner and children, and was homeless for over six years.

He lost his last home in 2022 but was able to use the services provided by ClwydAlyn to get a room and support, saying he was in a “very dark place” when he first arrived.

In a video created by ClwydAlyn, he said: "I was street homeless for six and a half years which involved sleeping behind shops and doorways, people chucking things at you in the middle of the night when you’re sleeping. It’s been horrible.”

Now, he is benefitting from the Supported Living Services by ClwydAlyn and credits them for having helped him in turning his life around.

ClwydAlyn is currently battling the housing crisis, and with the rising cost of living, more people are looking for support. It is working hard to provide its services and support tenants struggling to pay.

Their homeless services are funded through Welsh Government’s Housing Support Grant, but with a static figure forecast for the next financial year, things may yet become harder before they improve.

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For Mark, the service has been life-changing.

He is now drug-free, has a new partner who he is planning a future with, and thanks the staff for helping him get his life together.

He said: “Life is my natural high, its not drugs and I want to live it and I’ve got a reason to get up every day now.

“I can’t praise you all enough (ClwydAlyn), I mean, thank you.”

Speaking to the Leader, he explained: “The support here, they catered for every single need. They knew what to do, when to do it, and how to speak to me, it was just something I needed. They’re good at what they do.”

He added: “The support sessions and one-to-ones, they’re keeping me busy and the key to it for me is that they work with me not around a routine thing they have in other places. This here, they cater for you personally and the one-to-ones they do are brilliant.”

Mark now has a new perspective on life and is looking toward the future, despite the impact of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

He said: “I’ll be honest, if I was to move on now I’d be setting myself up to fail, I’m not quite there yet but I’m sure in the next six months I’ll be there, and its thanks to the staff here.”

He says he now wakes up in the morning with a smile on his face and urges anyone who was in a similar position to him to get help, and not take it for granted.

He said: “There is light at the end of the tunnel. If you want it, it's there for you.”