From Homeless to Chief Fire Officer: The Inspiring Journey of Sabrina Cohen-Hatton

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton recounted her remarkable story when she was a guest on Amol Rajan's podcast: Radical

When she was nine her father died suddenly and this proved a traumatic experience for her and her family. Over time they fell on hard times and were living in poverty. Sabrina ended up sleeping rough on the streets of Newport in Wales for over two years and tells of her experience of being homeless.

People's reaction to homelessness

What struck me most was how she was treated by the public. Many blamed her for her situation, not willing to try and understand why she might have reached this point. When she found a stray dog and decided to look after it, people accused her of using the dog to try and get sympathy from people.

But some were kind to her. Some bought her sandwiches or gave her money so she could eat that day.

When she was asked what she most wanted when someone approached her, she said:

'Ask me what my name is and then ask me, what do you need right now?’

Eventually, Sabrina was able to join the fire brigade as a fire fighter and by the time she was thirty-six years old, she was the Chief Fire Officer of the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

Nowadays, she is also working to end homelessness and stop people getting stuck in poverty. She is working with Prince William's charity, Homewards, which aims to end homelessness in five years.

In this interview on BBC Sounds, Amol and Sabrina discuss what can be done in schools to prevent homelessness, the stigma facing homeless people and how to stop professions from being dominated by the elites.

She is an amazing articulate woman and the interview is insightful, thought-provoking, and well worth a listen.

Bury Drop-in

I was drawn to this interview as I have volunteered for the amazing charity, the Bury Drop-in who support the homeless and vulnerably housed in the town. They are a life saver for those in need. So I have seen the problems of homelessness first hand and hearing Sabrina talking about the issue, very much resonated with me.

Life Beyond the Garden Gate

In my novel, Life Beyond the Garden Gate, Annie has been homeless for a number of years and we hear her back story which helps the reader to understand how she has ended up at this point. As Sabrina said, ‘no one chooses to be homeless.’

One of the themes of the novel is how the better off, the middle classes react to a homeless woman. Caroline’s husband calls Annie a tramp and is vile towards her while Caroline starts to empathise with her situation as she gets to know her and shows her kindness.

To found out more and buy the novel on Amazon click here.

To listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds: Radical by Amol Rajan click here.

To find out more about the Bury Drop-in: https://www.facebook.com/burydropin