Ashley has been part of the AfEO project, which helps people who have an offending history within the last 12 months into private accommodation, with tailored support. He has now also joined our LEAP programme where people with an experience of homelessness, mental health, addiction or other issues provide help and support to people accessing the Good Shepherd, this is his story:
My journey with drugs began at a very young age. I started smoking cannabis when I was 12, influenced by my family and my Jamaican grandad. That seem to spark a curiosity in me about drugs.
Growing up in Peterborough, in a predominantly white area, I experienced racial abuse – physical, verbal, everything really. Eventually, my mum decided to move us to Wolverhampton, which was a complete culture shock for me as it was very multi-cultural.
So, me being curious and already familiar with weed, I found myself in a new world of Wolverhampton and Dudley, searching for acceptance. I gravitated towards people who were also smoking weed. That went on for a few weeks until one day, an older guy who was probably 18 or 19 pulled out a box with foil in it and asked me if I’d ever tried it. I was only 14. From that moment, we ended up using it around ten times over the next couple of weeks.
Then I went to Leicester Carnival to see my family. And all I wanted to do was sit down, my back was aching, and I wasn’t hungry. I didn’t know why. We were there for a couple of days and then when I got back to Dudley. I mentioned it to the guy how I felt, and he was like ‘Ohh that’s because of this stuff’. So, he gave me some more and I felt right as rain. I was sick but then I felt like euphoric and then it just went from there. I got introduced to crack a few months later.
My behaviour changed so much that my mom had to put me into care. From then on, I just went headfirst into a life of crime and drugs. At just 15, I was groomed by older guys into selling drugs. My life became so chaotic I was sitting in the car selling drugs all day, then I’d go on a bender taking drugs, do something stupid, then get locked up and just repeat the cycle. That pattern of crime and addiction consumed the next 15 years of my life.
I was 28 when I had my kids, and they were taking into care through my drug misuse. Their mum also had two children from a previous relationship that got taken into care. When social services were made aware of this, they sort of put the spotlight on us.
My son actually got taken into care three days after he was born. And we had contact for six months. I got myself clean. She sorted herself out. We went to a family rehab for six months. While we were there, she got pregnant. So, when we came back we came back with two kids.
But we returned to the same house, in the same area where we’d been using before. It wasn’t a good mix, so we slipped back into old habits and started using again. Eventually, we split up. I was in contact with the kids, but that broke down too. From there, everything just fell apart. It hit me really hard, especially my mental health.
When my kids got taken into care I fell into drugs even harder, into crime even harder. I was doing some very stupid things to try and get funds for drugs.
I ended up going to prison for a 2-and-a-half-year sentence and when I got out, they released me with nowhere to live, nowhere to go, no money, nothing. I just thought to myself, what am I going to do? So, I went on a crime spree for 12 days which accumulated into a 7-year sentence.
When I was inside, I was just smoking spice every day, and I just felt hopeless. I was feeling depressed and I just couldn’t cope with what was going on in my life. My kids were in care. I didn’t know where they were. I just felt like my life had gone to shit. And then I started to see a therapist. It showed me the power of talking, because before this I couldn’t sit here and talk about my life and my kids because I just wanted to cry. I opened up and that helped me so much that I knew I wanted my life to change.
I was released from prison in December 2024. After getting out, I was staying in temporary accommodation. That’s when I was referred to Tina from the Good Shepherd. She helped me secure accommodation, a shared house with my own room. Good Shepherd paid the first month’s rent and deposit for me. They helped me with kitchen appliances, they brought me an air fryer, a fridge, hoover. Everything I needed to be able to be self-sufficient really.
The gym has also been a huge help for me and my physical and mental health. It’s become a safe space for me, somewhere I can clear my head and stay focused.
I’m clean now and getting help from Recovery Near You. I’m currently on the Buvidal injection, which has helped stabilise things.
Tina, Senior Keyworker and lead for the AfEO project said:
“Ashley was referred to the AfEO project through the homeless team at Wolverhampton homes.
“I supported Ashley to view accommodations through the private sector. He then moved into his own private rented room, and we were able to secure funding for deposits and rent in advance for this. Also items for his room through the household support fund.
“Ashley was then referred to volunteering at the Good Shepherd where he has been supporting people in our dining service. Ashley has now joined the LEAP team and has completed his training. “
I’ve started volunteering at the Good Shepherd. I want to help people that maybe find themselves in the same situation or similar situation I was in, growing up with drugs and feeling alone.
You get to see a different side of the service, giving out the food and helping people, it’s humbling. I’ve been homeless before and it shows how many people there are that need help but also reminds me of where I don’t want to be.
I see people around town and because they know me from before and through jail, they feel comfortable enough to say hey, and open up to me actually and they ask me things or tell me things.
I think talking is like therapy. If you feel like you’ve got somebody, you can at least talk to, that’s going listen to you. Not just go through the motions, but show a little bit of interest. It actually helps.
I’m now a volunteer on the LEAP project which will be good for me. Anything to do with helping somebody, if I can get a job to do that then I’ll be happy.
I’m now in telephone contact with my oldest son. My youngest son said he’s not ready yet, so I respect that, and I just said I’m here whenever he’s ready. Life is starting to turn around, and I’m feeling more positive.