Now, she’s their deputy CEO. She felt so passionate about working with the homeless community in Liverpool that she quit her writing career to join them and has never looked back.
“I try and think how I’d feel if I were in the shoes of anyone we work with,” says Pauline, who leads with exceptional patience and care. Her clients are often seen as the hardest to reach by other services, but Paulene and her team “prefer the term ‘time to reach’, it just takes time and we try and be the bridge they need.”
A grant from St Martin’s means the Paulene and the team will be able to help even more people experiencing homelessness in one of the most deprived parts of the UK: by providing purpose-built, supported accommodation and wrap-around support that helps them get back on their feet… however long it takes.
“Everyone should feel safe,” says Paulene, who is grateful to have made a real difference to people’s lives:
“Sometimes people do feel hopeless, they don’t have the energy to start again and feel their opportunities for change are getting smaller. We all deserve compassion, we all need a chance.”