Veronica's story

Veronica, 20, had to leave home at 16 when family relationships broke down and she was no longer able to stay with them. She spent two years at Chapter 1 Dashwood House, and moved into a studio flat of her own in the summer of 2010. Her Chapter 1 link-worker is still supporing her, and she is now actively looking for work.

She said: 'Chapter 1 helped me find focus. When you're very young, you don't really know what you want to do. Now I'm hoping I might get a job in security. I'd really like to be a dog-handler. A dog can be your best friend. In the meantime I'm trying to get all the experience I can. I've been fundraising for TABS* and that's helped a lot. I've been cleaning cars and doing teas and coffees at the local churc. I also sold furniture from another Chapter 1 hostel which is being refurbished - and wa told I did so well I could have sold snow to Eskimos. I don't think we really appreciate how much we have got. I'd like to make life a bit easier for people who haven't got very much.'

  *TABS is Chapter 1's sister charity, working with disadvantage people in the slums of Kenya .