Jude came to Pathways in 2024, rough sleeping at just 24 years old. He was young, warm natured but carried a lot more than most people could see. A few years earlier, he had lost his mum — a loss that changed everything. Life at home slowly became harder, his relationship with his dad grew strained, and eventually Jude felt he could no longer stay. Struggling with anxiety, depression, and feeling deeply lost, he stepped out into the world on his own.
Jude had faced serious challenges with his mental health and was doing his best to understand feelings that often overwhelmed him. Jude spoke about one day working with animals, and dreamed of a future that felt safe, settled, and happy.
When Jude first arrived at Pathways, he didn’t even have a phone. He promised he would buy one when his money came through — and true to his word, he did. He wanted to move forward. He wanted stability. Chesterfield Borough Council placed him in a nearby B&B, and from there Jude began attending our activity groups.
It didn’t take long for Jude to leave his mark. He became a quiet source of strength for others — always noticing when someone was struggling, always there to lift people up. He could read a room instinctively, calm tensions, and bring people together. As he settled in, we began talking about him joining our peer mentor course. He had something special that couldn’t be taught.
On the Tuesday he attended our art group, Jude seemed positive and hopeful. A housing interview he’d had a few days earlier had gone well, and he was waiting to hear back. Like many people, Jude had a past — mistakes that looked far heavier on paper than the person we knew. He worried about how those things might be judged, even though he was trying so hard to move forward.
A few days later, the news came.
The outcome Jude had hoped for didn’t arrive. In that moment, everything he had been holding together slipped away. What followed was a loss that shook all of us.
The young man we believed had a bright future ahead of him was suddenly gone, and the Pathways family was left heartbroken. Jude had in a moment of despair taken a substance his body couldn’t handle, something to dull the pain, to wipe away that feeling of hopelessness, that moment took everything.
For those who loved Jude and shared space with him at group, we came together. We wrote letters to him. We visited the place where he passed, lit candles, said prayers — and for those without faith, they read their words instead. Then we stood together in silence, honouring a life that mattered.
Our work at Pathways is not just about housing people without homes. It is about care, connection, and making people feel that they belong. Rest In Peace Jude.
