After a lifetime of challenge and loss, Jimmy has found something he values deeply at Webster Court; a place where he feels accepted, supported and at home.
Jimmy, 55, has lived at Webster Court, St Martins’ accommodation for people over 50 with a history of homelessness, for the past three years. Before arriving in Norwich, he experienced homelessness, financial hardship, bereavement and abuse. But despite everything he has been through, his warmth, humour and determination shine through.
“I love it,” Jimmy says of life at Webster Court. “I love everyone and I get on with them. I don’t get any nasty names because I’m gay and they don’t pick on me or nothing. We’re all like a family.”
For Jimmy, having a stable home has made all the difference.
“I came here with nothing,” he says. Since moving in, he has furnished his flat himself and created a home he is proud of. He enjoys cooking, takes part in a weekly art club at Webster Court and regularly joins creative activities at St Martins’ Under 1 Roof Learning and Development Centre.
Most importantly, he has formed genuine friendships. Jimmy describes his neighbours as friends rather than simply fellow residents. He and one of his Webster Court friends go on holiday together and are currently planning a trip to a caravan park in east Norfolk.
A successful career and a sharp mind
Jimmy built a successful career in sales. “I always worked, always paid my taxes,” he says. He spent years travelling extensively around the UK and Europe selling timeshare properties. His natural ability to connect with people helped him excel.
Jimmy has an astonishing memory for names, figures and details from decades ago. He can recall customers he sold to, where they lived, what they paid and even the professions they worked in.
Alongside his sales career, Jimmy has always been a performer at heart. He loves comedy, impressions and entertaining people. He does a fantastic send up of Margaret Thatcher (Labour supporter Jimmy is not a fan!) and loves icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Whitney Houston and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Overcoming challenges
Jimmy’s early life was marked by instability and trauma. He spent around nine years in care, moving between children’s homes and foster placements, sometimes running away from home and often feeling unsafe. Looking back, he describes growing up much faster than most children. “I was streetwise at about seven.”
After years of working and supporting himself, Jimmy faced homelessness following a combination of rising housing costs, declining health – he has Parkinson’s – and personal loss – he experienced the bereavement of two long-term partners.
Seeking help while homeless was often frustrating and disheartening. At one point, when living in Bolton, Jimmy struggled with spinal stenosis and what was then an undiagnosed Parkinson’s condition. After being sent to temporary accommodation elsewhere, he felt abandoned. “I thought, I can’t live in a place like this,” he recalls of one accommodation placement where there was constant drinking, drug use and disturbance. Jimmy is cynical of the praise Andy Burnham received in reducing homelessness in Manchester. Jimmy was turned away from receiving support because his local connection there was not accepted, despite being born and bred in Lancashire. Jimmy said, “The only place that did help me was Norwich.”
Despite the difficulties he faced, Jimmy has worked hard to find understanding and forgiveness for the family relationships that caused him pain. His resilience has helped him survive experiences that might have overwhelmed others. “I’d say I was strong,” he says. “Not hard-faced or anything like that, but possibly strong to get through all that.”
Some days are harder than others for Jimmy, who can be self-critical although he tries to focus on the positives. “I’m a survivor,” he says. “I’ve had it really bad and I’ve had it really good. So I’ve tried to remember all my good times.”
At Webster Court, Jimmy has found friendship, acceptance and the security of having a place to call home. Three years on, he continues to build a life filled with creativity, connection and hope.
When asked what life at Webster Court means to him, his answer is simple:
“We’re all like a family.”