What a difference a grant makes. The transformation at St Basils’ Lorna Esien Court is phenomenal. Previously a rundown, outdated nursing facility, £1m has created homes to be proud of for vulnerable young adults in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Progress Coordinator, Jody Cikac, has been instrumental since the opening:
“I look after the intake, so I’ll take referrals, assess them and make recommendations. Will they be suitable here or is there other places better suited for them?
“It’s been extremely busy, but it’s been great, and I’ve enjoyed every minute. I feel quite proud to be part of it, it’s the first St Basils’ accommodation in the city and it’s nice to have some decent, high standard accommodation. I’m from Coventry and it’s great to see the young people getting something they need.”
Recently settled resident, Danni, beamed when talking about her opportunity:
“I’ve been here for two months, when I first moved in I thought ‘I’m not going to know anyone, I’m not going to like it here’ but as soon as I walked through the door you get a nice, warm lovely welcome.
“I was living at my nan’s house, well it wasn’t just my nan’s it was my nan’s, my mum’s, my auntie’s and my friend’s – it was a bit all over the place. But she started to get reported and started to get in trouble, so I started to look for my own place.
“This is the first time I’ve had somewhere, and I love it, I love the independence, it’s so nice. I’m really grateful for this opportunity, I was at a pretty low stage with my mental health and my anxiety but being here has brought me out of my shell, they make you feel like you belong.”
After a quick photoshoot we spoke to Rose, originally from Kenya, she has mild learning difficulties and was struggling to grow in her home environment:
“I’ve been here from January. I‘m calmer, my confidence has opened and improved in a good way. Jody looks after me, she looks after me a lot. St Basils was the best for me, some things I can do on my own and some things I can’t.
“Here I’ve enjoyed living my own independent life, waking up no stress and just being peaceful. I’m enjoying cooking, meeting people, music. The grant, this building, it was so worth it – honestly, it’s worth it!”
Read more case studies from our Annual Review 2020/21 here.