‘They call me their Mother Hen’
says TRACY CUNNINGHAM
Tracy Cunningham never stops. Not only does the 53-year-old work as a paramedic, saving people’s lives on a daily basis, she has also helped hundreds of rough sleepers in Derby, setting up a homeless shelter and making it her personal mission to get as many as possible vaccinated against coronavirus.
‘I’m always available,’ says Tracy. ‘A visible figure wandering around the streets, five days a week. I have a smile and a listening ear, and they all have my phone number.
‘I’ve never been nine-to-five. I could be walking out the door at five o’clock and then all of a sudden, somebody will come to see me, but I never say, “It’s my home time, I’m off!”’
Tracy started working with the homeless community in
Ilkeston three years ago when she saw a Facebook post asking for help for the homeless over Christmas.
She responded by offering her services as a paramedic and so did a local vicar. The pair eventually set up a hostel at the church and managed to get 45 homeless people through their doors between December and February, thanks to support from other volunteers, too.
‘I was working full-time on my day job as a paramedic and then running the nights at the shelter,’ says Tracy. ‘Looking back, I don’t know how I did it,’
But it wasn’t enough just to help people over the Christmas period. Tracy was determined to provide long-term support for those who needed it most.
‘I was determined when we finished that nobody would be on the street,’ she says.
‘ We made links with the local housing companies and other services, and we actually housed all of them.’
With her strong drive to help the homeless, Tracy put herself forward to work as a paramedic on a Derby City project and, for the past three years, her role has included registering all rough sleepers and homeless with a GP and supporting them with appointments to start medication.
She also assists with hospital appointments, along with any maternity, sexual health needs or dentist, drug and alcohol appointments and any mental health interventions.
Tracy organises Hepatitis C testing events, as well as Covid and flu vaccine drop-in days. It’s no surprise that, thanks to Tracy, 88 per cent of the homeless in Derby city had at least the first Covid vaccination – the highest rate in the country.
‘I bribed them with the offer of an Easter egg,’ smiles Tracy.
While there’s no doubt Tracy’s job is hard and thankless at times, her clients do appreciate her.
Some have even written her thank you letters describing her as ‘the boiled egg to their soldier’, or as ‘a second mum sent from God’.
It’s her ability to listen without judging and never giving up on them that most of her homeless clients value.
‘I’ve found my vocation working with this vulnerable, usually non-engaging group of people and, I suppose I am, as they call me, their Mother Hen,’ says Tracy.
Amazing work, Tracy – a very well-deserved winner of our best Heroes award!