Darryl’s Story

Darryl, now 47, had been working at the BMW/Mini plant in Cowley for more than a decade and a half when he decided he needed a change of scene. The night shifts were gruelling, and he sometimes went weeks without seeing daylight. He thought it would be better to get a job where he could work outside, even if it meant taking a bit of a pay cut. He decided to become a bin man and was thrilled with his decision.

“It was like coming out of prison. It felt like freedom to be working outside,” he recalls.

But the next month, Covid hit, followed by the cost-of-living crisis. With the drop in income from changing jobs, he got further and further into debt. Unable to keep up with the mortgage payments on his house, he sold it—just days before it was due to be repossessed.

“I got out by the skin of my teeth,” he says.

A stay with family didn’t work out, and he found himself sleeping in his car until, unable to cover the insurance, he lost that too. He spent one night on the street before ending up in emergency accommodation for the homeless in North Oxford.

“To be honest, I don’t really know how it came about,” Darryl says. “I’ve always been a worker; I’ve never been in trouble or anything. It just happened.”

Fortunately, Darryl had been in touch with Citizens Advice, who referred him to Witney and West Oxfordshire Foodbank. That opened up a whole new door.

“I didn’t know what to do. My head was spinning,” Darryl recalls. “I went there for a food package and got talking to the girls there about housing, about the whole system. They offered me so much. They even gave me clothes from another charity. It was the first time that somebody actually did something for me.”

“It was overwhelming, to be honest. I was working at the time. I got in the van and I cried. It was just such a relief. It was amazing. It was the first thing that had given me a bit of hope for a very long time.”

“Since I was 14, I’ve always had to fight for everything. I’ve never asked for help. But this was the biggest fight of my life, and I feel like I’ve done nothing, because everybody’s been fighting for me. To see how many people were willing to help me—they don’t even know me—it’s just been lovely.”

As of a few weeks ago, he has a home again: shared accommodation in a council house.

“I love it,” he says. “I’ve got everything now. From nothing, I’ve got everything I need.”

His advice to anyone who is struggling?

“Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help if you need it. There are people who will judge you, but you don’t care what those people think anyway. That’s my attitude.”

“These last three months have been hell, but looking back now, it’s also been a good experience,” Darryl says. “It’s made me a better person, I think. I’m more interested in other people. I look at them and think, ‘I wonder if they’re alright?’”

He’s also excited about the future.

“I haven’t got a care in the world. I haven’t got any money in the bank, but I’ve got everything I need. I was so tired before. Now I feel like I’m flying. I’m looking forward to starting over. I’ve got no pressure. I don’t have to do anything. It’s a bit like the last day of school. It’s freedom.”

Back to News