Jamie's story is one of resilience, courage, and the power of lived experience. Once facing addiction and homelessness, Jamie is now a peer mentor—using everything he’s been through to help others find stability, confidence, and hope. His journey shows just how transformational peer mentoring can be, not only for those receiving support, but for the mentors themselves.
Six years ago, Jamie found himself at a breaking point. After falling in with the wrong crowd at a vulnerable time in his life, drugs and alcohol took hold. He lost his home, his sense of safety, and eventually ended up sleeping on the streets.
By his mid-twenties, Jamie describes feeling completely trapped. “I’d hit rock bottom,” he recalls. “I couldn’t see a way out.” The turning point came when he realised his situation was not only unsustainable, but dangerous. Faced with daily fear and threats, Jamie made the bravest decision of his life: to seek help and turn things around.
In 2019, Jamie was referred to us here at Concrete. That connection changed everything. We provided Jamie with a safe place to stay, stability, and tailored support—giving him the space he needed to focus on recovery and rebuilding his life.
With determination and sheer willpower, Jamie began his recovery journey. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. “I knew I had two choices,” he says. “Either turn my life around or lose everything.”
As Jamie’s confidence grew, he began looking for positive ways to fill his time and give something back. That’s when he discovered Concrete’s peer mentor programme—a service led by people with lived experience who volunteer to support others currently going through similar struggles.
“It was amazing,” Jamie says. “It gave me purpose. It kept me busy, helped my confidence, and made me feel good about myself again.”
As a peer mentor, Jamie supports others by listening, encouraging, and sharing his own journey. His lived experience allows him to connect in a way that feels authentic and empowering. “We’ve been there,” he explains. “We can really empathise. That makes a huge difference.”
Peer mentoring didn’t just help others—it transformed Jamie too. Through volunteering, he gained self-worth, skills, and a renewed sense of identity. “I’m still Jamie,” he says, “just a new and updated version.”
He also developed valuable insight into how support systems work, building experience that continues to shape his future. Today, Jamie lives independently, manages his own home, and enjoys the stability he once thought was out of reach.
“My life is completely different now,” he says. “I can pay my bills, feel safe in my own space, and plan for the future. That’s massive.”
Join the Peer Mentor Community
Jamie’s journey proves that lived experience is not a barrier—it’s a strength. Peer mentors play a vital role in helping others move forward, while continuing their own development along the way.
If you’ve faced challenges and want to use your experience to support others, peer mentoring could be your next step. Like Jamie, you could help someone see the light at the end of the tunnel—while continuing to build a positive future for yourself.
Because sometimes, the people best placed to help… are those who’ve already walked the path.
