Naihum’s story: It starts with you to take that first step

Naihum, 27, works full-time as a primary school PE teacher – something that he loves channelling his energy into and seeing the positive impact that it has on the children he supports. As someone who loves all things sports related, being able to share his passion for exercise, and create a positive environment for his students, is something that he’s felt drawn to from a young age. 

After feeling this calling towards helping others, he went to university, achieving a first in his degree and was able to quickly step into a role as a PE teacher, where he has been since he graduated. He sees his role not only as promoting sports and getting young people excited in taking part in activities, but also to make sure that they feel happy and positive at the end of every class.

“Since the age of 17, I always had a calling to help others and because I’m quite a sporty person, I thought, why not inspire the next generation through the means of sport? My main sport is football, but I started to get more confident and getting a variety of experience through different sporting activities and that got me thinking, could I be a PE teacher? I went to do an undergraduate degree in specialised teaching and coaching and as soon as I graduated, I was fortunate enough that I got a full-time job as a primary school PE teacher.”

“It can be super full on with the kids – you know having high levels of energy and trying to keep them engaged. It’s been good trying to make sure that they have fun and they’re learning and also that they’re staying safe. I just want to make sure that they leave with a smile on their face at the end of the day – you know, that’s what matters most.”

After living at Centrepoint’s Independent Living Property for four years, Naihum has taken the time to reflect on his experiences with the support he’s received and think about what the future might include for him.

Finding the Independent Living Programme

Before coming to the programme, Naihum had been living with his parents and was ready to move into his own property. After looking at his options, he couldn’t find one that would work for him and his salary and didn’t know where else to turn to.

It was at this point that his mum’s friend shared with him information about Centrepoint’s Independent Living Programme which might be a suitable option for him where he could save up, gain some independent skills and get ready to manage his own tenancy in the future.

“I was living with my parents and one of my mum’s colleagues had been in contact with Centrepoint and they emailed me about this opportunity for Independent Living. So, I got that email and I did my research and then I applied for it, and I was fortunate enough that someone got in touch with me.”

After reaching out they put Naihum on a waiting list whilst his application was processed. After seeing that he had all the skills he needed to live independently and had a secure job at the school, he was accepted into his new home and began to make the arrangements to move in. 

“They put me on a waiting list and surprisingly enough, I think like a month later she came back with an opportunity which was near my workplace, and she said, this is yours if you want it and I secured the property and have been living there ever since.” 

He wasn’t sure what to expect from his new home but has really enjoyed living in the property and how suited it is for what he needed at that time. Being able to only pay a fraction of his salary towards his rent has alleviated a lot of stress, as he knows how expensive the private rental sector can be.

Whilst living in his home he's been able to develop a close and supportive relationship with his housing officer, Bodrul, knowing that he can turn to him if he has any questions or needs some advice.

“It’s been great – the space, the furniture, the service I have no complaints. I’ve always been grateful for the opportunity to be here and to pay a decent price because I know how expensive it can be to rent. I’m totally thankful to Centrepoint and I want to give a shout out to Bodrul for being there for me and any time I have any questions or problems, he’s been there to support me all the way, so I thank him a lot.”

“Bodrul’s always just a phone call away and if he can’t be reached then I know I can speak with Moses and he’s great too.”

When Naihum moved in, he had some issues with his electric bill and with his rent, which on his own might have felt overwhelming to work through. But knowing that Bodrul was there to chat things through and give him ideas of how he might be able to sort out the issues he was having was a huge relief. 

“When I first moved in, there was a problem with the electric bill and for some reason it was on a business rate, and it was quite costly! So, he helped with that. He was also able to give me some ideas to help me move off from that. And then there were some issues with the rent, and he was able to sort this all out, which I thanked him for as well and just a couple of things here and there. He’s come as well to give me some ideas of what I might want to do beyond Centrepoint so that I can take that on board.”

Naihum has also really appreciated the community that they’ve created in their accommodation, building friendships and connections with the other young people. Not only has this helped him to feel more settled, but it’s created a support network around him that he knows he can turn to if he ever needs any help or advice.

“It’s great because you’ve got other to reach out to and it just makes it easier. You can just speak about anything, and you don’t know what that person might feel like at the end of the day, so it’s all about treating people with respect and support them the best that you can.”

Gaining skills and independence

Being able to live in the property and learn in a safe environment all the skills that will help him as he moves on has been a huge help for Naihum in his journey to independence. He can feel the impact that it’s had for him, especially in only having to dedicate a third of his salary towards his rent, which meant he didn’t have sleepless nights wondering how he might afford it. Being capped at that amount, means that he knows that he can save and feel more financially secure as he thinks about his next steps.

“Living here has actually made a significant difference. In terms of the rent, I’m able to afford it without having to like stress overnight and having to think about where I’m gonna get the money from with the job that I’m currently at. So, to be able to afford it without having to stress has been quite good because I know that other people are in situations where they are finding it hard and having their mental health affected.”

“Fortunately, here at Centrepoint, it’s at a rate I know I can afford and still be independent.”

As he has been able to save more, he has noticed the impact that this has had on his ability to budget with more confidence and feel even more comfortable with managing his finances. Being able to develop those skills and feel more secure in making decisions around his finances has meant that he’s planning more proactively for the future.

“It’s also helped me to grow my finance skills and make sure that I’m budgeting right so that I’ve got all the essentials like food covered or you know transport and bills. It’s giving me a lot to think about when you’re living independently.”

Alongside feeling more independent through being able to manage his finances, Naihum has also noticed a change in himself and how he manages his day-to-day life, feeling more organised and prepared for whatever happens next. 

“Living here has taught me to be more thoughtful and make sure that I have everything planned out for the week. It’s helped me to be more organised.”

Through the relationship he developed with Bodrul, he was able to suggest a mentor for him, who aligned with what Naihum wanted from life. His mentor has been a great source of support and guidance for him as he moves towards living completely independently, but also to help him feel more rounded in himself.

“Bodrul also connected me with a mentor, and he comes and meets with me every week or so and we just talk about my life, and he can give me any tips and just how to better myself which I really appreciate. I know I can call on him if I need anything.”

When looking back at the support he’s had throughout the last four years, Naihum’s grateful for the space he found to be able to develop his skills and to feel more confident to take the next step in his journey.

“Centrepoint do their absolute best to look out for young people and make sure that they get everything they need to be able to live independently - I thank them dearly.”

Thinking about what comes next

After living with Independent Living for four years, Naihum is starting to think about what his next step might be and what he might need to do to achieve this. Being able to live in his property has meant that he’s been able to save up his deposit, which gives him more security for when he does move on and opens up more options to him.

“I’ve been learning my skills to live independently to make sure that when you’re ready you know you’ve got the deposit to move on. That’s the plan for moving forward and now I just need to work out where it will be.”

His dream is to one day own his own property and is doing everything he can now to make sure that he’s ready to take that leap. Although he doesn’t know where it might be, he’s been doing his research to understand what the different avenues of support might be for him and how this could become a reality.

“I’m looking to hopefully one day own my own property. I’m not too sure where it’s going to be but it’s definitely to secure a property. I’ve been looking at schemes and help to buy is an option I remember them saying to me when I moved in.”

As a self-motivated person, Naihum knows that whatever comes next starts with him and although it might feel daunting to take that step forward, that in order to achieve his goals, he needs to push himself to get there. 

“It starts with you and if you want to do something, you’ve got to put the plan together and then after that review it and make sure you go through the whole cycle again. It starts with you to take that first step on the journey.”

His training as a teacher shines through his attitude to life – taking every opportunity to learn and grow so that he can become the best version of himself. He’s also realised how important it has been for him to not compare himself to others, focusing on his own journey and realising that everyone goes at their own pace – just like during a race.

“I’m not perfect and I’m going to make mistakes but it’s about learning from them really. You know what you’ve got planned but just do it again and take your time with it – don’t really focus on anyone else but yourself to build your character, build the necessary skillset so that you’re ready for the next opportunity. And especially look at those failures as well – don’t look at them and think ‘I wasn’t successful’ look at those like lessons to learn from so that you can achieve the next step in your journey.”

For Naihum, he’s learnt a lot through his journey – going to university, moving into his flat and planning for the future which has given him much to tune into as he moves through each stage. For him something that has been key to his experiences has been reaching out to others and making sure not to keep everything locked inside. 

“Knowing about where support is and just researching and going through those ups and downs. Take each thing one step at a time and if you need to talk, try to reach out to someone. If you keep it bottled up, it’s not a good feeling and you’re just going to keep going backwards instead of forwards.”