‘I furnished it all myself’: how Will settled into his purpose-built supported living apartment

Late last year, Will, who we support, moved into Brunswick Gardens, a purpose-built Lifeways supported living service on the outskirts of Newcastle.

Before moving to Brunswick Gardens, Will had been in various different hospitals over the past decade. So when his social worker first introduced him to a new placement at the service, Will says he was “over the moon.”

Will’s move to the service, which saw him swap a hospital unit for his very own supported living apartment, was in his words, a “new start in life.”

As Will moved in just in time for Christmas, he and his friends were able to celebrate together on the day in his new apartment.

‘Brilliant’

“My first Christmas here was brilliant,” says Will.

“I had my friends around, put my tree up and had a little bit of a party.”

As an animal and nature lover, Will has decorated his apartment with his own furnishings, which reflect his love of animals and nature.

“I furnished it all myself and I’m pretty proud of what I’ve got,” says Will. I’ve put my own stamp on things, and it makes it feel a lot like home to me.”

Will regularly has his family over for visits, and likes spending time in the garden and at the local park.

He’s also made friends at the service, and enjoys watching films with them – as well as playing videogames with his support team.

Best of both worlds

Brunswick Gardens, which opened in 2017, is made up of 16 self-contained one-bedroom apartments.

Like other Lifeways supported living services, Brunswick Gardens offers individuals the best of both worlds: independence and privacy, with 24/7 supported delivered by an on-site team.

“It’s wonderful to see how Will’s found a place of his own at Brunswick Gardens,” says Janine Forshaw, Lifeways’ Community Engagement and Development Manager for the North region, leads the team which helped place Will in his new home.

“We know how individuals who have been living in hospitals or secure settings and wish to move on can get discouraged finding a place to live,” Janine adds.

“That’s why my team and I work hard to make sure everybody we can support finds the right place to call home.”

Social housing investor Triple Point funded Brunswick Gardens. Read Triple Point’s full interview with Will on the investor’s website.

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