ABOUT 18 months ago Claire* came into the Jesus Centre in a very desperate state. She was a heroin addict and had four children all taken into care because she was homeless and an addict.

Claire asked if we could help her sort her life out and find her somewhere to live, so we put her onto the Jesus Centre's Bond Scheme and helped her to go to the community drugs team to get her off heroin.

The Bond Scheme started Claire off with some fairly basic accommodation. We needed to see if she really wanted to change her lifestyle and move forward. She did: she regularly came to the Jesus Centre for support. Since then we have helped her move into a two bedroom flat.

Claire is now free from drugs and has two of her children living with her permanently. She is working to get them all back.

The last time I went to visit her she said how grateful she was to us for helping her - and that we had shown her the love and acceptance of God.

* Not her real name