#09 - Nicola, on making a tent a home, homelessness, life and community

Today I chat to Nicola, I met Nicola as I was walking my dog, she was living in a tent in a field. I saw her every morning for nearly a month and we just smiled or said hello, so one day I plucked up the courage to ask if I could listen to her story, and here it is.Nicola is a really resilient human, she has COPD, and needs a wheelchair and yes life is quite tricky for her, she is really open about how difficult it is, where she goes to the loo, has a shower, and how she has had to leave her son at her mums to give him a better chance.Yet, despite her tricky circumstances, she still has made a community for herself, friends, a great GP, homeless services that help with laundry and foodbanks, she has even found some lovely people who give her flasks of hot water for a brew.Nicola really cares what people think, and she thinks people see her as lower than them because she doesn’t work. I learnt that by having a chat to homeless people, taking the time is a way to build community that is inclusive and in fact everyone is part of our community, whether they live in a tent or a house.I should point out, we recorded this in the pouring rain, she was in her home, the tent, and I was outside with a slightly broken brolly protecting the mike, so the sound may be a little glitchy at times, despite producer Jonah working his magic, it is well with bearing with though, to get a real insight of living in a tent, and dreaming of a place to call home.