Dylan lives at one of Sanctuary Supported Living’s schemes in Brighton.
“From a tough start, I worked full-time as an administrative debt collector for a high street bank, but a personal situation arose which resulted in me losing my job and experiencing mental health problems.
“In addition, I later discovered I had Asperger’s, which affects the way I feel around people. Sanctuary Housing provided me with a place at its Foyer, which houses people at risk of homelessness, before eventually finding me a flat in the centre of Brighton.
“Since then, I have been involved in Green politics and joined Sanctuary’s Resident Scrutiny Panel.
“I am involved in high level debate with high profile figures in politics and had the opportunity to meet a cabinet minister to testify about my experience here. Staff at Sanctuary work with me in a sensitive manner to support me with problems that are not usually obvious or visible. Recognising I had something to offer, they worked with me over years to give me the opportunity to maximise my involvement with Sanctuary, including looking at the area I am most interested in - climate change and renewable energy.
“That personal approach really is, I have found, the best way to utilise peoples’ skills and to see them as individuals who offer something. Sanctuary aspires to take a customer centred approach and my experience with Sanctuary shows how this can work most effectively.
“I am also a musician, singer, guitarist and a composer of everything from ballads to heavy metal.”