I am currently studying for a PhD in public health and I work freelance for Comic Relief. My Fellowship was about breaking cycles of homelessness and reoffending. Homelessness, mental health issues, offending and substance misuse are often interlinked and individuals without support will likely remain chronically homeless.

The idea for the Fellowship came from a project I was working on at the homeless charity Crisis. The project aimed to better engage with prison leavers who were at risk of homelessness, which revealed the scale of need. The main themes of my research in the USA and Norway were criminal justice, housing-first models, peer support, co-production and better use of data. Following my research, I travelled north to the Arctic Circle to see the Northern Lights, another long-held dream of mine.

After returning home, I worked with women in HMP Low Newton to implement some of my findings. My PhD represents a continuation of my research as it is focused on intersectionality and women with multiple disadvantages. My Fellowship broadened my horizons, in terms of what is possible for me and for my sector and I feel incredibly fortunate to have had this opportunity.