Ray Warrington has spent the last ten years sleeping on the streets, in a pub or "sofa surfing".
He has always worked but last year things got even worse when he had to give up his job and he was sleeping rough again. Things were so desperate at one point for the 55-year-old had to hole up in a disused garage. It was miserable.
Ray has lived in Burton all his life and is an avid Brewers fan and now finally he has a place to call home thanks to the YMCA.
He says that 10 years ago he treated himself to a Lord of the Rings-themed chess set and now finally he has a place he can call home to put it - a one-bedroom flat - thanks to the YMCA.
"Some nights I was sleeping in my mate's flat, when he let me. If it was raining they'd let me sleep over, but all over night I was sleeping rough," Mr Warrington explained.
"I had to give my job up last year, I was trying to find somewhere permanent to live.
"I was living with other people, in a public house. I had a big argument with the landlord's wife."
"It was horrible. Very horrible. I found an old garage where I would stay. Just an empty, disused garage.
"Luckily, the spaces that I found were very quiet. No people around, only people who used the other garages were around.
"It wasn't nice. But luckily I had a friend and, if it was raining, he would let me stay in his flat.
"But he was worried about other residents in the block of flats reporting him for having people in the flat who shouldn't be. I would have to go round the back way just to get in the flat when I did, so people didn't know."
Just when he thought his luck might never change, he was offered a room by homeless charity, the YMCA.
The YMCA in Burton runs vital awareness and fund-raising schemes throughout the year to help the homeless. It offers accommodation for those like Ray who find themselves falling on hard times at its Reconnect Centre, in Orchard Street.
Those needing a safe place to stay are first taken to what is known as a 'cluster' room, the first point of shelter, with 13 of these rooms at the Reconnect Centre for the homeless.
Each room comes equipped with a bed and a wardrobe, donated from charity shops, and occupants are able and encouraged to add their own furniture as and when they can afford to do so.
Residents in these rooms shared a single communal bathroom, and an on-site kitchen and canteen, where they are able to cook for themselves.
Residents are always monitored in the 'cluster' rooms to make sure they are in the correct mind-set and have the ability to maintain a home independently.
Ray spent a few weeks in a 'cluster' room, before being offered his own one-bedroom flat.
There are a number of one bedroom flats situated at the YMCA in Burton, which are managed by the charity, who decide when residents are ready to move into them.
When choosing a resident to move into a flat, when one is available, bosses at the centre go through an in-depth process.
The first consideration is the length of time residents have been in the YMCA cluster rooms; the longest inhabitants are normally the first to be up for the move, but other factors come into the decision too.
These include how well kept the resident is, how tidy they keep their room and their behaviour and ability when preparing meals in the kitchen area can all improve or damage their chance at moving to an on-site flat.
In the flats, the residents have far more room and more freedom.
Ray is over the moon with his flat, which includes his own kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and large living area – the first time he has had so much room for ten years.
He said: "It's brilliant, I'm just so happy. For the last ten years, I've been living in a pub, with just the one room and shared facilities.
"It's just so great to get my own independence. Ten years ago, I brought a Lord of the Rings chess set.
"It wasn't until I moved in here that I could actually set it up. I've still got all the pieces, it's a collectible.
"I've now set it up. I actually won the first game. It's very nice, hand-painted tungsten pieces. It's not really a set that you should play with really, it’s a display set."
Ray is a life-long Burton Albion supporter and has witnessed the club's meteoric rise from the lows of non-league, right up their current heights in the second tier of English football, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Derby County, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.
Keen to always remember the good times, he has a framed shirt from the 2008/2009 season when the Brewers were promoted to League Two, along with two pictures of the players celebrating promotion to League One and the Championship in 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 respectively.
When asked about the Brewers' current form, with the side in the relegation zone of the Championship, Ray joked: "Never heard of them. You know what, it was more fun in League One any way!"
He has been going to football matches since 1971, and claims to have travelled up and down the country, visiting 'hundreds' of grounds.
He explained: "Since we've been in the football league in 2009, I've done 60 away grounds. Last season I tried to go, but I just can't afford it at the moment, I can’t even afford home matches.
"I never used to miss a weekend game, but in the last five or six years I've been to 30 games tops. They really are my passion."
Whenever a resident goes into the care of the YMCA, a specialised support worker is appointed to them to track their progress and make sure they receive the right amount of care throughout their time there.
Ray's support worker Sue Torr insists that she believes he will not be needing the support from the YMCA for much longer.
She said: "Ray had a friend who lived at the YMCA many years ago at Milton House. When Ray found himself in the situation of being homeless, I'm just pleased that Ray remembered us.
Helping the homeless
"Ray won't be with us for long, he's a very independent and at the end of the day our main aim was to get him off the street and get him housed.
"I don't think it's going to be too long before he moves on back into the community. He's a very well like resident, he's very quiet. He's very respectful.
"He's a pleasure to support work, I have to say, they're all a pleasure but Ray's got something about him. An absolute quality that makes him different and unique. And he's got a nice chess set.
"I think what's nice about Ray is he's starting to put stuff back in. So he's done bucket shaking for the YMCA, he's looking to volunteer within the shops. It's not just all take, there's that giving back to the community as well, which is nice."
