Bicycle workshop

crank from what i know you're spot on with everything you say, really.
rent in advance/deposit trap - happens to a lot of people. There're schemes being started up at the moment to help people with that. and it's also a fact that the majority of homelessness is people going from this to that with perhaps not a huge amount of sleeping on the street. glad you're more settled now though.

when i was squatting i knew some people who went to Crisis for different things, I didn't think it was right as most of them where either supported by their parents, or chose the doll over work. I think that people like that should not drain the limited resources of something like Crisis, which helps people in actual need, not people who chose a life style of scrounging.

Just wondering how the people at Crisis actually feel about this.

well i'm speaking as an individual here rather than a spokesperson for the charity cos i'm at home and i can't check the line with someone who does, but frankly as long as they weren't really taking the piss then fair play to them.

There's a big range of people who come in, from 60 yr olds who sleep rough and've been drinking themselves to death for the last 20 to the odd person who's got a place and a steady life but just enjoys coming down and learning stuff or just having a chat.

That being said when I'm down in the bicycle workshop doing stuff i use the tools but i don't use any of the parts on offer cos obviously i can afford my own. ie not taking the piss (even though there are some nice old road frames and handlebars in the workshop)

Anyone coming in adds to a sense of community, which is important because for some people there they might not've had a conversation for literally weeks, other than to have been moved on by the OB. So yeah in answer to your question cc as long as they didn't really take the piss in some way then it's all good.