'I had nobody' - Derbyshire chef who lost his job through Covid, ended up on the streets and attempted suicide is now training as a lay preacher

In 2022, 39-year-old Darren Cox of Cotmanhay thought the world would be better if he was no longer in it.

He had lost his job as a chef when the pub he worked at shut in the Covid lockdown, and then ended up sleeping in a shop doorway after a relationship breakdown.

Last year, everything got too much for Darren and he ended up on Trent Bridge in Nottingham, threatening to throw himself off.

“I had nobody,” he said. “I was a single man by myself and I thought people were better off without me.”

But fate had other plans for Darren, and a policeman managed to get him off the bridge and out of danger.

After being looked after by the police, he was referred to the services of Derventio Housing Trust, which offers accommodation in Derbyshire to people who have recently been homeless.

He started attending its Growing Lives service, a day centre in Ilkeston which offers support to people through a range of activities.

Darren said: “Growing Lives has been absolutely brilliant. We have been on trips – I went to Mount Cook Adventure Centre with the Growing Lives team. I’m scared of heights but I did this zip line – not only did I do it once, I did it three times!

“I really like the staff at Growing Lives and I love the woodworking room. It means everything to me. I could be sitting at home twiddling my thumbs. This is keeping me active. It has turned my life around.”

Now Darren regularly helps out his local food bank at the back of Arena Church. He has also become a regular church-goer, and is training to be a lay preacher.

Today, he keeps the pair of old trainers with a hole in the sole that he wore when he was sleeping rough inside a wooden bread bin that he restored in the workshop at Growing Lives – a reminder of the dark and the light times in his life, and how he was brought back from the brink.

“When I put the trainers in this bread bin, it’s like putting my old life away in something I’ve restored,” he said. “On that bridge, I was at the bottom of a barrel. Derventio’s staff have shown such patience with me. I was still self-harming when I first moved into their accommodation and if it wasn’t for their patience and understanding I still would be.

“I do have my bad days because I always will have bad days. Nine times out of ten I’m fine though. The support that these guys give me is absolutely amazing.

“If you have got problems, you can talk to the people who work here at Growing Lives. Everybody is dead open. Everyone is so lovely. I love it here. I’ve started to get help with mental health too.”

He added: “And if I could see that police officer now, I would want to buy him a pint or something to say thank you. He effectively saved my life.”