Matthew's Story

As part of Elim’s 60th Anniversary celebrations we are talking to residents past and present about their time with Elim. Current resident Matthew tells us below about his time at Taylor House, Gloucester and the impact it has had on him, from being given a chance to thrive to independent living.

Before Elim

So, I heard about Elim through The START team at Gloucester City Council. I had tried supported housing before, quite a few times actually but I kept getting kicked out as I was considered high risk because of my substance misuse.

I don’t think many people would have me! I didn’t have high hopes coming to Elim, as its not in the city center and I thought it wouldn’t be any different to the other places I lived before. But it was, and I’m so glad I came.

Support and Community

My main thing is staying clean. I go to support groups 5 days a week which is working so far, it’s one step at a time really.

I like to keep busy so I go to all the groups that Elim puts on, I learnt to cook a curry last week and I’m going on a computer course soon. I also volunteer at the local community hub selling fruit and veg, I really enjoy meeting everyone and getting involved. I’m even going rock climbing this afternoon!

The team at Taylor House are great, there’s always someone to talk to if things are going a bit wrong and everyone’s really friendly.

Future Plans and Aspirations

I want to finish my time at Elim, and then get my own place. I’ve been pretty successful on home seekers and I’m currently bidding on gold. I hope that I will be matched to a property in a few months. Helen, my support worker has helped me put a CV together and I want to eventually get my forklift license if I can.

Elim’s had a massive impact on my situation, I’ve gone from nobody wanting to give me a place to sleep or give me a second chance, to doing all these new things and being able to stay clean. It’s the longest I’ve been clean in a long time and it’s because of Elim helping me.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard work but with the support they give me, I can get on with my life.

Located in Matson, Gloucester, Taylor House provides accommodation based support for single people and couples with complex, multiple and high level support needs, aged 18+. 34 residents are housed in a mixture of self-contained accommodation and rooms with shared facilities.

As a resident at Taylor House, you will work alongside your support worker to co-produce your support plan, enabling you to progress towards more independent living in the future. We encourage and support all residents in preparing for volunteering, training, education or employment, as well as community involvement. Most Taylor House residents stay for 6 months; however, we understand that everyone’s circumstances are different and the length of stay may be shorter or longer.

To find out more email us at info@elimhousing.co.uk.