Kindhearted family let homeless couple live in their garden shed
PAIR WERE OUT OF WORK DURING PANDEMIC AND COULDN’T AFFORD TO PAY THE BILLS
A FAMILY let a homeless couple live in their garden shed after the pair struggled to find work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Macaulay Johnson and his partner Shannon Cullen, both 21, had to leave their Bestwood Village home when they could no longer afford to pay the rent.
Mr Johnson, who is autistic and had been working in a factory, moved them both into a local hotel. But again they struggled to pay the bill.
Miss Cullen, who used to work in a call centre, had moved to Nottingham from Ireland to be closer to Macaulay after they met playing the video game Grand Theft Auto online.
The pair had lived together for a year at their Bestwood home before the pandemic hit.
With a trolley full of clothes and even their Playstation, they set up a tent in different spots of Gedling borough hoping the local authority would offer support.
One night, the couple were terrified to find someone slashing their tent in an attempt to get inside and steal their valuables.
Mr Johnson said: “When I woke up they tried to unzip it and I shouted and they ran away. It was really horrible - and it was freezing cold.”
Living in fear of further attacks, Mr Johnson started to beg outside Tesco in Bulwell, hoping they could raise enough cash each day to get a hotel room.
Little did they know that Ian and Lisa Marshall, both 43, of Bulwell, were about to offer them the most generous gift they could have asked for.
Heartbroken by what they saw, the pair offered them a roof over their heads in the shed at the bottom of their garden while they sorted themselves out.
They even decked the space out with an electric heater, a mattress, and fed the couple each day, and let them use their shower facilities.
Mrs Marshall said that due to Covid and her own health issues, the pair were unable to sleep in the house.
She added: “We went for a walk to Tesco and we saw them outside and when I saw the lady it really pulled at my heart.
“I was walking around Tesco and it was niggling at me.
“I said ‘you can put your stuff in our shed if you want’ but as we were walking back they said ‘can we stay in the shed?’ and I said ‘yes.’
“They are human beings. There is no humanity anymore. I have no money but how can I turn these two people away? They don’t take drugs.
“He had his Playstation with him and they have lovely clothes.
“I wondered what would happen to my son if anything happened to me. I would hope someone would help him.”
Numerous calls were made to Gedling Borough Council, who initially said they couldn’t house the pair because they had no connection to the area.
But after the Post contacted both Gedling Borough Council and Ashfield District Council, there was a change of heart.
A spokesman for Gedling Borough Council said: “Following Nottinghamshire Live making us aware of the situation we contacted the couple and put them in temporary accommodation until we find a long-term solution.” Thankful of the generosity shown by the Marshalls, Miss Cullen said: “We would have died on the streets if we had not been given this shed. My whole body was cold in the tent.” Mr Johnson added: “We are so lucky we ran into them. They put heaters in there. I have never met nicer people. They did not need to do any of this. “Some homeless people are drug addicts. We don’t even drink alcohol. We are just a normal couple that wants a roof over our head.”
We are so lucky we ran into them. They put heaters in there. I have never met nicer people.
Macaulay Johnson