Nicole's Story

Nicole came across Cardboard Citizens through a friend. She's been coming to classes for about six months and recently started the This Way Up + scheme, funded through Job Centre Plus. Nicole regularly attends workshops in Street Dance, Singing and Theatre Skills and she knows that they keep people off the streets.

The This Way Up + scheme has helped Nicole get on to a BBC presenting course, called 'Tackling Skills'. Once a week, Nicole goes to BBC Television Centre to learn the tricks of the trade, with four other people who come from a homelessness background. She's seen work on Blue Peter, Top of the Pops and this weekend gets her big break by covering a football match at Leyton Orient football ground - an interview that will go out live on Teletext and the BBC website - not bad for somebody just starting out!

Alongside this course, Cardboard Citizens' This Way Up + programme has helped Nicole access a TV production course at City Westminster College. Nicole's been going to this class for three weeks - two days a week and next year she wants to go to University to study similar skills. It's been a great challenge, learning to work the cameras, interact and be herself.

Nicole knows that the theatre skills workshops at Cardboard Citizens will help her in front of the camera - but presenting is her love - she can meet more people - and Nicole knows that the more people she meets, the better chance she will have for a TV presenting career.

It's an ambition for Nicole that she starts her own business, buys her own TV equipment and gets her own show that she can stream on the internet - he doesn't now what topics she wants to cover but it could be sport, street dance or music -she'd love to meet 50cent!

Nicole has also recently been on an intensive training course with Cardboard Citizens with the aim of becoming a workshop mentor. Joining the company's team of mentors involves attending workshops and supporting other homeless participants in areas such as housing or volunteering. Nicole was a youth worker for a short time when she was 16, but this mentor training means she's had to learn new skills because now she is mentoring people who are much older than her -mentoring is now a back up plan for Nicole if her presenting doesn't work out.

The presenting courses have really brought out the best in Nicole and show now wants to move out of her hostel, into the East End, by getting more help from her key worker. Nicole knows though that she is likely to be in the hostel for another year because only people who are pregnant or on drugs get priority - and Nicole doesn't want to get into any of that - she just wants to get on with her life.

So for Nicole, it's learning more skills, more acting and more presenting and she'll be continuing with the Cardboard Citz classes and mentoring.

If you meet Nicole soon - I'd get the autograph now.

For further information contact Lisa Caughey, Marketing Manager on 020 7247 7747.