When Steph entered a new chapter of her life, she wasn’t sure what her next move was. She knew she needed to find a new place to live and could probably find a room to rent with some flatmates. But when her neighbour mentioned guardianship, she thought she’d check it out.
That’s what led Steph to Dot Dot Dot. She was interested in the flexibility of guardianship and the chance to live by herself at a cost she could afford. Steph was already accustomed to giving back to her community, having run her own comedy gigs before – so if guardianship was what she was looking at, Dot Dot Dot seemed like the best option. And when she stumbled on our new properties in Ham, west London, she thought she’d head to a viewing.
First impressions
Steph was apprehensive about living in Ham Close – it was quiet and certainly a bit of a journey from where she’d previously lived in East London and where lots of her friends were still. But she liked the property she viewed and thought it had great potential.
Since moving to the area earlier this year, Steph’s found a new community of guardians and local residents. She’s thrown herself into making the best of the area – that includes connecting with neighbours and meeting new people through her volunteering.
Building a community
Steph’s also found some local volunteering opportunities with GoodGym and with Ham magazine. As a creative person and stand up comic, she’s enjoyed using her skills in her volunteering roles. She also gets to see first hand how so many locals are involved in their community and are really proud of where they live.
‘I’ve been really impressed by how welcoming the whole community is, it feels like a very safe and friendly place to live as a lone woman and I can see that people really look out for each other – it’s nice to just say hello to people at the bus stop!’
Creating a home
She also enjoyed making her new flat a home – she saw lots of potential in the space when she viewed it and loved choosing her own colours for the walls and developing her handy skills. And with lots of local parks and gardens, the Ham area has also been the perfect spot to move to during the summer. When we spoke, Steph said,
‘Ham really shines during the summer – with so much green space, it’s a great place to enjoy the warm weather and get outdoors.’
New opportunities on the horizon
Whilst out on sunny walks and catching the bus, Steph also started to think about the other opportunities available to her in this new area. And now, Steph’s learning to drive! Having lived in East London for most of her life, it never seemed like the right time or that there was much reason to learn to drive. But in the peaceful area of Richmond, the thought of driving in London suddenly seemed like a much less daunting task.
Respite and breathing room – like Cameron Diaz in The Holiday
Living in Ham has facilitated the chance to shift gears for Steph – it’s definitely a quieter life but it’s nice to decompress and make the best of this transition phase of her life. She even compared herself to Cameron Diaz’s character in the holiday! Her new flat has provided her with much needed respite. Concluding our chat with this lovely sentiment, Steph said that ‘with the nature of guardianship, I know it’s not forever – but it’s lovely for the moment whilst I work out what I want to do next.’
