Sleeping in the doors of abandoned shops and buildings is no place for anyone, much less a vulnerable 15-year-old who was already living in extreme poverty at home.
They kicked me, punched me and spat on me while I was sleeping. Passersby called me “scum.” One of my professors even walked away from me while I was selling the Big Problem. It was dehumanizing.
I lived on the crime-ridden streets of Newport, South Wales, for two years from 1999. It was a horrible place, with lots of deprivation and drugs, and little opportunity. When I was at my lowest point, no one had been able to help me.
So, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that our future King would one day ask me for help.
Now, here I was in Windsor, sitting down for a cup of tea with William to talk about his Homewards initiative. ‘This is really surreal. Is this really happening? I kept thinking. It was a real ‘pinch me’ moment when he asked me how I survived.
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton was homeless when she was 15, kicked and spat at, but has now advised Prince William in Windsor on how to tackle the problem of sleeping rough.
William was incredibly kind and engaged. One of the things he understands is trauma: he’s experienced his own. My own trauma began when I was nine years old, when my father died of a brain tumor and we spent some difficult years, living in abject poverty. Mom was struggling with her mental health and the home was volatile.
When I was almost 16, the situation became too serious and I left. That’s when I started sleeping outside.
However, although the threat of violence was always present, the streets still seemed safer to me than a shelter. I didn’t know of any shelter for young women, not even for young people; The ones I knew were full of people who used drugs regularly or had recently been released from prison.
But I also found some kindness. Men in their 50s and 60s who had been homeless for a long time helped me find soup kitchens or safer places to sleep.
The Prince of Wales has organized many festive fundraisers to help the less fortunate in recent years.
I was terrified of people knowing I was sleeping rough, because I didn’t want to receive medical attention. I was raised by someone who loved me deeply but did not have the physical or mental resources to properly care for me, so I subsequently did not trust any authority figures.
I pretended everything was fine, even though I was on the People at Risk Registry and social services were involved. I thought the care would be akin to a Dickensian asylum, so I did my best to pretend I still lived at home.
In the midst of the chaos, continuing my education seemed like the only thing I could control. So, after a night sleeping rough, I would put on a rumpled uniform and go to school, occasionally managing to clean and wash in the pub toilets. I kept my books in a hiding place and continued studying, managing to get an A*, six As and three Bs in my GCSEs; I was determined because it was the only chance I saw to have a future.
Sabrina is now one of the country’s few female fire chiefs, and credits selling the Big Issue and spending time with her dog Menace for saving her life.
There are two things I credit with saving my life. I sold the Big Problem, which gave me self-esteem, structure, and a reason to get up, but also (and this is crucial) some financial resources to support myself.
The other thing was my dog, Menace, who found me sitting outside a pub – a stray dog who found a stray girl. You don’t sleep well when you’re on the street because you’re always on edge: I’ve woken up with a boot on my head on more than one occasion. But after Menace arrived, I slept much better.
Little by little, I rebuilt my life. When I was 17 I went to Monmouth, an hour away by bus. No one else was selling the Big Issue there, so I could earn enough to save up and put down the deposit on a cheap rented flat. It wasn’t much, but it was safer. I stopped visiting Newport and avoided anything that reminded me of my old life.
Once I recovered after two years, I began to wonder what I could do to help others. In 2001, motivated by the memory of that teacher who walked away from me, I joined the Fire Service as a part-time firefighter. Within a few months I was full time and never looked back. I graduated in psychology from the Open University and, in 2010, began a PhD at Cardiff University.
I am now a Chief Fire Officer of the Fire and Rescue service in West Sussex, one of the few female chiefs, I have a PhD, I am married and have a wonderful 14 year old daughter.
Then in 2019, after almost 20 years of keeping my previous life a secret, I started talking about it. I wanted to show that there is potential for life after homelessness. I am the proof!
Left to right: Tyrone Mings, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Prince William, Gail Porter and David Duke at the launch of Homewards, a program to end homelessness in the UK.
When I work with Prince William, I am always touched by how empathetic he has been and his genuine commitment to driving change, even with what has happened this year.
It’s amazing to see it in action. He is not afraid to tackle a problem despite its magnitude.
One of the most important things you are doing is helping to get rid of the stigma of homelessness in all its forms.
If we can get rid of it completely, the journey and recovery from being homeless will never be as difficult as it is now.
Prince William: We Can End Homelessness will air on October 30 and 31 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, STV and STV Player
As he told Lebby Eyres.
