Colin
‘I’ve always had a passion for helping young people grow’
Read Colin’s story here:
Colin's Story
Colin Whittle is more than a housing coordinator – he’s a mentor and an important presence in the lives of homeless, vulnerable young people.
For the past nine years, Colin, 37, has worked at Nightsafe, a Blackburn-based charity that supports homeless and at-risk young people aged 16 to 24. Colin, from Darwen, is part of a team providing emergency accommodation, supported housing, and preventative services to help young people move from crisis into stability and independence. Whether it’s offering a safe place to sleep or supporting mental health needs, the charity is a lifeline in the local community.
Today, Colin manages two of Nightsafe’s key housing projects – Witton and Cornfield Cliffe. His duties involve overseeing staff, maintaining the buildings and making sure that the young residents not only have what they need, but feel supported in all aspects of their lives.
“I started as a support worker and was promoted to management just six months ago,” Colin explains. “Before Nightsafe I worked in early years education, so I’ve always had a passion for helping young people grow.”
Although he found working with children fulfilling, Colin felt a strong pull toward supporting older young people who were facing more complex challenges. He wanted to be part of something that made a lasting difference to those on the brink of homelessness.
The residents Colin supports come from diverse and often traumatic backgrounds. Many have aged out of foster care or been forced out of family homes, but more recently, Witton has become home to young asylum seekers from countries such as Vietnam, Iran, and Sudan. These young people face huge challenges, from cultural isolation and language barriers to processing the trauma of everything they’ve been through.
“Some of them don’t have a great understanding of English,” Colin says. “They’ve witnessed death, war, family members have been killed.”
Yet even with everything they’ve faced, they are determined to succeed.
“They’ll happily attend college every day and learn English because they know that it’s going to be the key to getting better opportunities and a better life.”
Many of the young people that Nightsafe supports arrive at the charity’s door with nowhere else to turn. Without stable housing, access to education or emotional support, their futures are at risk. Nightsafe provides a holistic approach to care – not only addressing homelessness, but helping young people build the life skills, confidence and community connections they need to thrive.
The job, however, is not without emotional strain. Colin is candid about the mental health challenges his team navigates daily – not just in the young people they care for, but within themselves.
“Some of our young people self-harm, some have tried to overdose, and others have struggled with severe paranoia. It’s challenging for our staff as the young people offload to them, so it’s been our priority to support their mental health just as much as the residents.”
Colin tries to make the home environment healthier by focusing making sure the housing project feels like a home. The staff and residents eat, cook, and take part in activities together such as watching films, going on walks, playing games together, being socially interactive with each other, and to create as much of a normal and safe space as possible.
Colin sees the long-term impact of Nightsafe’s work when coming across former residents who now proudly share updates about their jobs, homes, and independent lives.
“I see them out and about when they have moved on and they come and speak to me. They rhyme off how well they’re doing, and every single time, they know me by name.”
For Colin, the reward lies in the gratitude of the youths he supports, especially those who have come from circumstances where kindness is rare.
“Our young people are the ones that are most grateful for anything – they appreciate it and they’re thankful,” Colin reflects.
For many residents, Nightsafe is the first place where they have felt genuinely respected and valued. That sense of belonging creates the foundation for transformation, empowering not just the young people but the entire community that supports them.
