Derbyshire Woman Saved by Charity Avoided Jail or Death on Streets

A woman in Derbyshire was once homeless. She credits a housing trust for saving her life. Theresa Kestle, Kelsey Hudspeth, and Violet Osborn are speaking out. They highlight struggles homeless people face in the UK. A housing trust’s program, Healthy Futures, helped them.

These three women escaped difficult situations. They faced homelessness, poor housing, and abuse. Derventio Housing Trust based in Derby helped them greatly. All three praised the housing project. Theresa said she would be dead or in jail, as she was homeless in Chesterfield for months in 2024.

Chesterfield Borough Council funds Healthy Futures. The program gives housing to people in need. Without it, they might use 999 and NHS services. The charity reports the project saves the NHS money and “tens of thousands of pounds”.

Theresa described her experience. She slept rough in Chesterfield in 2024 and used drugs at the time. In late 2024, she joined Healthy Futures and became clean within a few weeks.

Theresa said rough sleeping was awful and she feared for her safety constantly. She spoke to Derventio through Pathways, a homeless charity, and received housing within a week. Theresa loves having a home and says she avoided death or jail. “It’s great just to have a space.” She can lock the door and feel safe.

Paul West runs Healthy Futures for Derventio. He is amazed by Theresa’s progress and said, “She’s worked hard and got herself clean.” He is very pleased for her.

Kelsey Hudspeth became homeless after an abusive relationship forced her elsewhere. She found a safe place at Derventio Housing Trust, which was “wonderful” for her. She now works in a coffee shop.

Violet Osborn from Alfreton became homeless in 2021 and came to Derventio Housing Trust after leaving an unstable shelter that is no longer open. She studies at Chesterfield College now and wants to enter the engineering field. Derventio means safety and welcoming people, she said. “There’s one-on-one help for you,” and people can call anyone they need to.

Sarah Hernandez manages Derventio Housing Trust. She is thrilled for Theresa, Kelsey, and Violet, who are thriving because of Healthy Futures. They give intense support to people in danger and the progress they see each year is remarkable. The support helps people make progress.

Hospitals are strained by 999 calls. This service helps provide better accommodation for people who don’t need a hospital. Sharing success stories is a joy, and hearing how well the residents are doing is great.