Carim grew up in Syria, with war raging all around him. At just 15, Carim had to escape his home country and made a treacherous journey alone to the UK. Freezing, Carim had no access to food or clean clothes. He spent months sleeping on the streets, with no way of washing, cooking or protecting himself at night. 

"My clothes and hair were disgusting. I hardly looked human. I felt like my life wasn't worth living." - Carim

Luckily, Carim was taken to an asylum-seekers holding centre where he was referred to Centrepoint. At Centrepoint, Carim finally had a safe place to sleep at night and a team of experts who cared about him, listened to him and were on his side – every step of the way. His Key Worker, Maria, helped him find his feet in a new country. She helped him apply for housing, register with a GP and enrol on a vital English course. At last, Carim had an adult who he could trust and rely on.

 "Centrepoint feel like a family. We can all celebrate together. I had never celebrated Christmas before. On Christmas day, we ate with staff and other residents. We also received gifts. It was a special time and I felt at home." - Carim