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Neil Beresford

“I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Two Saints – the staff literally saved my life.  I’ve gone from sleeping in a park with no self respect, to enjoying life with a loving family and feeling good about myself every day”.

Thanks to the support and help of Two Saints' staff, Neil has successfully managed to beat his addictions, get off the streets and find true love to lead a happy and settled family life.  For the first time, he says is looking forward to the future.

 “After years of being called stupid and useless by an abusive father I had extremely low self esteem.  I felt angry all the time and didn’t do well at school. As a result I left home at 16 and threw myself into a chaotic lifestyle which revolved around drugs and alcohol.  I didn’t like who I was but I couldn’t deal with life without numbing it.  Although I tried rehab several times I just couldn’t stay clean and sober for long.  After years of living in bedsits I eventually ended up on the streets. Drinking had taken over my life completely and I spent much of my time either unconscious or feeling utterly hopeless and worthless. Although I would regularly wake up in a hospital or a police cell I was always desperate for the next drink.  I honestly wanted to change my life but I just couldn’t do it - the drink had an absolute grip on me. 

The beginning of the end came when I was found in a park.  I had been living in a bush for two weeks and was severely malnourished, had hepatitis C and had gone out of my mind.   I was taken to a nearby Two Saints hostel, and the staff there literally saved my life. They helped me back to health and gave me support and space to consider my options.  I moved to a dry house in Bristol and then a recovering community in Cornwall, and I got better!

Thanks to their compassion and tolerance my life is very different now. I have been clean and sober for over two years.  I live in Cornwall with my new wife in a lovely house and have a rewarding job working with elderly people with dementia.  Not only do I have two adorable step daughters but I am rebuilding the relationship with my own daughter, with whom i had lost contact for 13 long years.  I’m really loving life and for the first time feel I can hold my head up.  I’m proud to be living life as a productive and useful member of society, and it really is all thanks to Two Saints.”

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