DOUGIE

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Dougie was a former individual who slept rough on the streets of Leeds throughout the mid 2000’s following a personal bereavement. He found himself becoming dependent on alcohol and no longer capable of paying bills or looking after his children in Ireland, thus resulting in becoming homeless.
He was introduced to St. George’s Crypt when a volunteer from the charity discovered him taking rest in a park. This enabled him to obtain necessary conditions to help with his diabetes, also providing a gateway back into work, as well as a safe place to stay. According to Verity at the Crypt, Dougie was a ‘genuinely positive individual who had no intention in staying homeless, and longed for an opportunity to work, reunite with his children, and become an integral member of society once more.’
His time at the Crypt provided a gateway into sobriety and an opportunity to earn money legitimately, and through his personal determination, he became a figurehead of homelessness prior to his unfortunate death in 2008, related to his condition.
There is often a generalised stigmatism associated with the homeless. This is one of the many examples of how an individual can turn their life around given the opportunity. This begs the question, should we, as a society on the whole, be more responsible before casting judgement and begin understanding individual circumstances, and offer more opportunity for reform as opposed to blocking opportunities?