Over 29,000 young people face homelessness this winter as we revealed figures could reach a five-year high. Olympian and former Centrepoint resident Jade Johnson shares her story of homelessness and encouraged people to consider the harsh reality of having no place for Christmas.
Jade was living in a busy household as one of six children, and at the age of seventeen following an argument with her mother and a breakup with her then boyfriend, she found herself homeless. She stayed at a Centrepoint hostel, where it first became apparent to her how many more homeless teenagers there must be in London, and around the UK. By the age of nineteen, less than two years later, she was back competing, and ranked #2 in the World as a Junior in the Long Jump.
Jade comments, “I know from my own experience how it feels to have no place to stay, and while financial difficulty has impacted many this year, most of us are lucky enough to have a comfortable Christmas planned. Sadly, that just isn’t the case for too many homeless young people.