Three years ago, Steve Dawson, 42, from Ipswich, was at his lowest ebb. Following a divorce, he had an alcohol abuse problem and had lost everything - his family, his belongings, his home. Today, with help from TNG, a national welfare to work organisation specialising in helping the hardest to reach back into work, he has turned his life around and is looking forward to the future.

When Steve’s marriage broke down he was forced to move out, leaving him with nowhere to turn. With ‘no fixed abode’, Steve was living in a hostel for the homeless. Although it was a roof over his head at night, coming to terms with all he had lost was not easy, and he began seeking solace in alcohol.

With no income, Steve knew his best way out of his current situation was to find a job, and he enrolled with TNG in Wolsey House, Ipswich for support. At TNG, he was assigned a Personal Job Adviser Ron Hardy, who noticed that Steve would sometimes skip meetings, and didn’t seem to have any self-motivation.

Ron knew how much Steve wanted to find a home of his own, and so knew that there was an underlying issue to Steve’s sometime non-attendance. Over 10 weeks, Ron built up a rapport with Steve, who in one emotionally-charged discussion, confessed that he had a problem with alcohol.

Acknowledging his problem, and asking for help, was a huge step for Steve, and the moment he knew his life would change. Ron did not let him down, and helped him to get an appointment with SAVO (Voluntary Organisation Partnership) and he enrolled in a project for people with alcohol abuse issues. This meant working closely with SAVO and TNG to ensure that we kept him busy.

Once he was receiving expert help and support for his drinking problem, Steve was able to focus on his next big goal - getting a job. He also knew that finding work, and establishing a routine would benefit him in his battle with alcohol.

Steve didn’t have much experience with computers, and worked with Ron Hardy and Aimee Curtis to develop new IT skills. With support, he became far more confident in online job searching, creating letters and CVs and soon there was no stopping him.

Steve found a job at a local printing company just before Christmas, and is enjoying his new, sober lifestyle. He said, "They say that sometimes you need to hit rock bottom before you get help for your problems, and that was certainly true in my case. I felt that I had nowhere to turn, and that no one would listen to me. TNG proved me wrong, and not only listened, but helped me to get the specialist help I needed to combat my alcohol problem. Then, they helped me focus on my next aim of finding a job. Now that I’m working, I can put some money by and can move out of the hostel and into somewhere of my own. Starting at the bottom means the only way is up, and thanks to the help I received from TNG, that is exactly where I’m headed."

Ron Hardy,Personal Job Advisor at TNG, said, "I am extremely proud of what Steve has achieved. Asking for help is never easy, and we were only too happy to help him in any way we could. At TNG, we don’t believe there is a ‘one size fits all’ solution to helping people find work, we treat each person as an individual, and help them identify, and overcome, their own, personal barriers to employment. Steve is a prime example of this, and we wish him lots of luck in the future."