Michael's relationship with us goes back 25 years. In fact he stills lives in the same house we originally offered to him. But apart from that, Michael's life has changed enormously since 1984. For many years he worked on Leeds City Council's School Meals' Service. Now retired, he's a volunteer for 'Older Active People', an organisation that does what it says on the tin; encourages older people to keep fit, active and involved.

"My Probation Officer put me in touch with Foundation after I left prison. Whatever support I needed I got from them. Any problems, they sorted. That was very good, because at that time I needed that kind of support. Most important they helped me focus on the positive things in my life. They helped me get my life back together. That helped me stay out of trouble. Without them I think I could have gone the other way. What I respect about them is that they were non-judgmental. Foundation is an organisation that understands and listens to what you have to say. That gave me confidence, self esteem and made me feel I was somebody again. Thank God they're still around to help people today with drug and drink problems."

"I've turned my life completely around - by 360 degrees - since I came in to contact with Foundation." That's how Gerry sees the amazing change in his life. After leaving prison, Gerry was on parole, living in an ex-offenders hostel. "I was given a council flat, but had nothing to put in it," he recalls. "Foundation found everything for me; a cooker, fridge freezer, bed, carpets, TV and furniture." But as Gerry soon found out, support from Foundation goes a lot further than that. "My Foundation support worker took an interest in me. He helped me look at the positives, not the negatives. Foundation gave me a feeling of self-worth, self-belief."

Gerry now works with Foundation. "I do office duties and go out and see Foundation customers. Because I've been through it myself I can sympathise with them. I encourage them to get involved in activities and the courses that are available on things like money management, computers and the internet. Now I'm offering to people exactly what Foundation offered me."

Antoni has come from the school of hard knocks. Originally from London, when his cousin was killed in a shooting incident, Antoni lost his last means of support. It was the final straw in a troubled life. His parents lost patience with him when he was 14 years old; he then spent his teenage years moving from one hostel to another. His drinking started as a way to forget. My mum didn't want to me to live with them," says Antoni. "So I was homeless. I was arrested by the police for being drunk and disorderly. And that's when I was introduced to Foundation. They found me a furnished flat and gave me a support worker. With their assistance I was able to reduce my drinking and come off anti-depressants. They then sent me on a Community Development Course." As a result Antoni is now involved in organising 'Open House' activities for other clients. He's also on Foundation's Board of Trustees and works on a voluntary basis for 'Lifeline' an organisation offering support to people with drink problems. "I've taken some big steps over the past two years," Antoni continues. "And I couldn't have done it without the emotional support and occasional kick I got from Foundation."

Hazel was working in a local estate agents when she met the wrong bloke. She was 19; he was a drug dealer. It wasn't long before Hazel had picked up her own expensive habit - heroin. "To start with you think you can handle it. Small amounts have a big impact. But you just keep wanting more and more until your next fix is all you care about."

When she reached the bottom, Hazel was homeless and "didn't like myself very much." Looking at the company she was keeping and the state they were in, made her realise it was time to take action. "I went to the doctors and was prescribed methadone," she recalls. "Then a Foundation bedsit came up in Settle. Laura, my Foundation' support worker was brilliant. She was there for me 24/7."

Working with Laura, Hazel got her life back together, got herself an education - a Business and Management Degree. She now works for the UK's largest Internet Service Provider, lives in Manchester and is buying a house. "One of the girls I did drugs with died. If somebody like Foundation hadn't taken the time and trouble to give me a second chance - I probably wouldn't be around either."