Gosport waitress who lived on streets vows to help others

The 24-year-old is now a waitress at Victoriana's in Gosport and is part of the team opening up the cafe on Christmas morning to give people, with nowhere else to go, a bite to eat and some company.

Robyn said: '˜I really wanted to give something back and to let these people know that they are not alone and they are members of society that other people care about.

'˜Having been there myself I know how hard it is to get out and sometimes it is beyond people's control and they find themselves homeless and spiralling down.'

Robyn became homeless due to her drug use and spent time living in a tent around the borough.

She said: '˜I think you have to want to get yourself out the situation and now being out of that situation I have realised what a mess I was at the time.

'˜Seeing pictures and videos of yourself on something is really quite disturbing to watch and my family also told me I was becoming like my uncle who had killed himself the year before and that really scared me.

It is something they are still grieving about and I wanted to get myself out of a similar situation.'

Robyn says organisation Two Saints helped her turn her life around.

She said: '˜They were amazing. Although I chose not to stay in the hostel because of my drug problem, they gave me a place to wash and brush my hair.

'˜They gave me warm clothes, got me food, put me on the council's housing register and pushed me to the right services to help my drug problem.

'˜I would say to anyone in the same situation as I was to use the services and stick with them. If you want to get out then they can and will help you.'

The cafe is offering breakfast from 10am until 12pm.

Robyn added: '˜We also want people who maybe just don't have any family they can visit and so will be lonely on Christmas morning.

'˜We are also planning to make up hampers with clothes and food for the homeless that they can take away with them so we can give them that extra support.'

Donations from the public can be given to the shop.

- Clothes including scarves, hats, socks, jumpers, trousers, jogging bottoms and underwear.

- Non-perishable food including biscuits, cereal bars, dried fruits, cookies, crisps and bottles of water

- Sanitary products including toothbrushes and toothpaste