Morgan's story: My goal is to work with Centrepoint and help make a change

Morgan’s journey to Centrepoint

Morgan, 27, had been studying Performing Arts at university when, due to the lack of support available to him as a neurodivergent person, he could no longer stay in education. He felt unable to leave his room and could not attend classes and decided that after his second year he should move back home to focus on his health.

“My journey began with me in university studying Performing Arts, wanting to eventually become a theatre performer and make a living out of it. I stopped going into classes and barely left my room as I constantly felt like I simply didn't want to put effort into life anymore.” 

Morgan found that after leaving university and coming back home, he wasn’t able to see a difference in how he was feeling and was struggling to cope. His relationship with his family reached breaking point and it felt like the best solution for him to leave the family home.    

“Returning home after my second year at university this spiral continued to where I was barely being social with anyone. It started to get too much for me and as someone with Asperger's Syndrome I was incapable of handling it.”

“A lot of minor things built up over time to the point where the family broke down and the best solution was me being out of the equation. I needed to learn to start coming out of my shell and stand properly on my own two feet.”

After leaving the family home, Morgan began to sofa surf with a friend, however this was not a long-term solution and after he was no longer able to stay with them, he began rough sleeping and travelling around different areas to find places to stay.

Through the local council he was placed with a couple who supported young people in need of housing. After staying with this couple for a couple of weeks, he was then referred to Centrepoint to get longer term support and help him to take steps towards independence.

“I began sofa surfing with a friend I am no longer in contact with and spent a couple of months with them, until eventually that was not working out and I instead proceeded to sleep rough and travel around a lot. Eventually I was brought to the local city council and put through a process of being taken in by couple who would help young people who have nowhere to go. After a couple of weeks of that, I was brought into Centrepoint.”

Finding his feet

When Morgan first moved into his Centrepoint supported home, it took a long time for him to feel comfortable and in a place where he wanted to interact or engage with the team. However, after a few months of being in his new home and getting used to his new surroundings, he felt like he was in a place where he wanted to get involved and see what opportunities might be open to him.

“Starting off with Centrepoint I was very quiet and kept to myself a lot, still barely wanting to come out of my room or be in any way social with anyone including the staff.” 

He spoke with his key worker at the time and mentioned that he was open to taking on different opportunities around Centrepoint and seeing if he could share his lived experience to help support others and make improvements and changes, where possible. 

He began working with the Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) team, to identify ways to ensure that every home and space young people were living in felt safe and inviting and he fed back on any improvements he thought might be valuable. This involved working closely with the team, sharing his lived experience and collaborating with experts to create advice and guidance on important environmental changes.

“It took a decent number of months until I began warming up to Bev who was one of the staff at the place I was at. She began to get me involved in little projects that eventually grew into my first major project with PIE with Dr Helen. Through her we did a lot of work based around creating a safe living space for young people which had me involved in a lot of panels and meetings with experts and other professionals.” 

Growing his passions

After a few months in this supported accommodation, Morgan moved to another nearby home, where he stayed for almost three years. It was here that he had the opportunity to develop and grow his passion for participation even further, getting involved in a range of different activities around Centrepoint. 

Supported by Jay, his key worker, he found huge value in being able to share his lived experience throughout Centrepoint, working with campaigns and policy teams to influence government and collaborate on research that could impact future support. Being able to contribute and share his experiences to influence positive change gave Morgan a deep sense of meaning. His dedication and drive were recognised in 2021, when he was awarded the Centrepoint Personal Development prize. 

“Later on, from there I was moved to my final residence under Centrepoint where I met Jay who as my key worker and together with him, I started engaging myself heavily in giving back to Centrepoint. I was on several different projects including stuff around policies and research, with PIE and many interviews and meetings. I had finally found something I was passionate about that made me feel like my life actually had reason. All the hard work that I had put in even won me the 2021 Centrepoint Award for Personal Development.”

In 2022, Morgan moved on from Centrepoint support and into his own home, where he has settled in nicely. In 2025, he joined Centrepoint’s Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB), which is open to any young person who has experienced homelessness, to share their experiences, opinions and voices to ensure that decisions are made with the young person’s needs at the centre.

He’s grateful that he’s had the opportunity to continue being involved with projects, and that he can share his lived experience to make a positive change for other young people. Through the LEAB he’s been involved in speaking at Town Halls, consolidating and synthesising research and inputting into vital support changes.

“I had done a lot of projects around Centrepoint, which is one of the reasons I ended up joining the LEAB team in 2025. The LEAB has been working on several different things such as Town Hall meetings, research into different subjects and helping to change support for young people who have experienced homelessness.”

Moving on and looking forward

After moving on from Centrepoint support in 2022, he was able to find a flat of his own where he has been for the past few years. He’s enjoyed having his own space and has been looking for a job that is suitable for him and can meet his needs. 

He’s been focusing a lot of his time and energy into the relationships with his family, which are currently in a really positive place and is making the most of them being so close to him in his new home. Alongside spending time with his loved ones, he is also still heavily involved in the work of the LEAB, working towards some large-scale future activities, such as Centrepoint and corporate partner events. 

“I have been living in my current private apartment that I rent out for the past 2 years which I have become quite comfortable with. I am mainly putting most of my focus into my family, who I am currently in a very solid relationship with and live very near, as well as my work with Centrepoint that I enjoy a large amount.” 

“My best current pastime is spending time with my parents and siblings whenever the chance arises as they are who I care for the most out of anything.” 

The LEAB is a year-long commitment for young people, and as the first year comes to its end Morgan is sad to lose the group with whom he has developed close relationships and made a genuine impact through his commitment and input. He wants to channel the energy that he’s put into this group to guide him forward, hoping to soon find a role that works for him within Centrepoint in the future. 

“I am currently still with the LEAB team. Sadly, my work with them will be coming to an end soon as it’s a fixed 1-year term with them. However, I am currently preparing for a panel with Nationwide in March as well as board meeting in the same month. We as the LEAB are also currently aiding towards setting up for an event with Centrepoint in July.”

“My current goal is to continue working with Centrepoint to help make a change to the current situation of youth homelessness and even if I win a second award for it, it’s very much welcomed but just an extra accolade to my dedication.”

Alongside his passion for giving back to Centrepoint and supporting other young people, Morgan enjoys spending his time outdoors, taking time to explore new places and connect with nature. He’s also a big fan of technology, teaching himself the ins and outs of coding and script writing, a useful but tricky skill to master, as well as enjoying playing different computer games in his free time.

“I enjoy exploring a decent amount so I will take myself off to places and walk around a lot whilst enjoying the fresh air. I do have a passion for technology so I will spend a good amount of time on the computer trying to learn scripting and coding in my spare time, as well as play competitive games which has always been a hobby of mine.” 

We are so proud of everything that Morgan has been able to achieve and grateful for his time and dedication in being a part of our Lived Experience Advisory Board. We wish him all of the best with his future!