Tresillian House

 

Tresillian house is a 'wet' homeless shelter in Cardiff  for inhabitants who struggle with the disease of alocholism and other addictions A 'wet' shelter means that people can stay there temporarily whilst using alcohol and other substances. This is unusual in that most homeless shelters are 'dry' and do not allow substances of any sort on the premises. 

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As part of a post graduate diploma at the University of Cardiff in 1997 I spent months in and around Tresillian House documenting the lives of people living there. Mostly I spent time with Dawn, a lovely and generous woman who became a firm friend.  Dawn, Mike and the young people photographed below struggled to find a way to live in the world they found themselves in. At the time they seemed completely overwhelmed and unable to understand systems in which they mostly didn't have a say. It was very hard to spend time with them whilst not knowing how to ultimately help. Very, very sadly Dawn and her girlfriend both drowned in Cardiff Bay a few years later. They are very missed by family and friends who, like all who knew them, have fond and heartfelt  memories of happier days.

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Following this I became a freelance photographer in Cardiff.  My work combined editorial work for newspapers and magazines with p.r. work, photography and creativity workshops.

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