A BORDERS business has helped a man 'find joy and community again', and he wants to share his story with others.
Geek Retreat in Galashiels, which runs card game sessions, quizzes and a café on Channel Street has helped regular customer, Daniel, regain his confidence.
By taking part in weekly game sessions at the store, 29-year-old Daniel – who has been dealing with homeless since he was 18 – has improved his literacy as well as building friendships with fellow players.
READ MORE: New Borders shop to be a 'hub' for the community, says owner
With his new-found skills and confidence Daniel wants to give back to others and help those in similar situations.
He said: "It’s hard to put your life back together after everything.
"I went down this bad path and when I came back everyone was gone – I didn’t know how to start again.
"But I’m welcome here [Geek Retreat] any time – they’re actually trying to do something with this place, make a difference in the community.
"I’m trying to do that too – I want to be able to offer support to stop kids having a bad time like I did.”
And as a special treat, Geek Retreat gave Daniel a 29th birthday surprise – a free murder mystery escape room experience at the Galashiels store.
Charlie Dawson, manager at Geek Retreat, said: "Daniel’s been at the heart of the Geek Retreat community for a while now.
"The team wanted to do something nice for his birthday, and we opened a brand new escape room recently, so we offered him a free experience to celebrate!
“Geek Retreat is a lot of things – a gaming space, a café, we have the escape room and community space – but most of all it’s a safe, non-judgemental place to find your people.”
Daniel is a client of the recently-launched Housing First Borders support service which is operated in partnership between the council and homelessness charity Cyrenians.
The service aims to offer stability to clients and build relationships with them in order to see them involved in the community.
READ MORE: Borders business offering space to discuss bereavement
Max Allen, Daniel’s Housing First support worker, said: “Daniel’s so much more comfortable now than when I first met him.
"Like all of us, he needed connection to people, and Geek Retreat has been a great space for that. That kind of relationship building is what Housing First is all about.
“Our support isn’t conditional – we don’t dump clients if things go wrong.
"That kind of consistency and stability for people who’ve often been shunted around the system their whole lives means we have time to really build up a relationship, and that's how we were able to help Daniel follow his passions.
"Because he’s had this space to do things he loves, he’s been able to put so much back into the community.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here