A FORMER homeless man who lived in a tent after his parent kicked him out revealed that he is now worth a whopping £5million.
Adam Pope transformed his life after admitting that he often found himself in trouble during his youth.
Adam Pope, 43, is worth a whopping £5million[/caption] He was homeless for six months after he was kicked out of his parent’s house[/caption] He launched Spencer Churchill, a law firm based in Bolton[/caption]The now-millionaire would regularly host illegal raves and joyride in cars.
He was no stranger to the police who almost threw him in jail after he was caught driving whilst disqualified several times.
Despite his illegal activities, Adam claimed that his parents did everything they could to keep him on the right path.
He said: “I came from a good background; my parents are still together. It’s not like I came from a broken home.”
However, at the age of 20, he was kicked out of his family home in Bolton after his parents became fed up with his behaviour.
Adam began sofa surfing at friends’ houses, but unfortunately, their parents soon grew tired of his disruptive behaviour as well.
He told Manchester Evening News: “I was on a self-destructive trail.
“I’ve always been a nice person – I was never a bad person – I just never knew why I was going down this path or what the cause was.”
With nowhere left to turn, he was forced to sleep on the streets where he would walk for hours “just to pass the time”.
He added: “By the end of the night, I would have walked 20 miles instead of going to sleep.”
Fearing for his safety on the streets, Adam would sleep in his parents’ back garden, ensuring he was out of sight by the time they woke up.
The millionaire Brit added: “I was paranoid about staying in the same place for any length of time.
“I would rarely stay in the same place every night. It became challenging.”
Eventually, he managed to take a tent from their garage, which he used to camp in a local woodland.
Despite his homelessness, Adam continued to attend college to finish his business course.
Anything and everything would freak you out
Adam Pope
A lecturer confronted him about it after rumours about his living conditions spread.
“I had gone to college and I wasn’t far from finishing,” he said.
“I got there and one of my tutors went, ‘I heard you’re sleeping in a tent in the woods’.
“I got back from college and the very few belongings I had left had been stolen along with my assignments that were due in a few weeks. I couldn’t finish college.”
Adam slept rough for a total of six months, during which he recalled how terrifying “sleeping in the woods” can be.
He added: “All sorts go through your mind. There are all sorts of characters about.
“It was the winter and it was freezing. Anything and everything would freak you out.
“You could hear shuffling about and you would think, ‘What was that?’ and quickly get back in your tent.
“Sleeping was never a thing. You couldn’t switch off properly.
“But I knew I was better off in the tent compared to some of the other places I was in.”
Fortunately, Adam’s grandma learned about his situation and offered him a place to stay with her.
With a roof over his head, he began trying to get his life back on track and even managed to find employment.
However, it was short-lived after he was fired from several jobs over poor punctuality and other issues.
Failing to hold down jobs, his dad allowed him to work in his business as a tea boy.
This proved to be a humbling moment for the now 43-year-old, who decided he wanted more out of life.
At the age of 27, Adam started a financial services dispute company before going on to launch Spencer Churchill five years later, a law firm based in Bolton.
The company specialises in corporate law, commercial mediation, dispute resolution, employment law, real estate, intellectual property and private client services.
Incredibly, the business now turns over £5million.
Although the business is already hugely successful, Adam has no intention of slowing down – aiming to scale the firm even further in both revenue and size.
But the entrepreneur says he probably wouldn’t be in his position today if it weren’t for the hardships he’s had to overcome in life.
“It’s not where you started, it’s where you finish,” he added
“I’ve had a very difficult early few years. It would have ruined a lot of people.”
It comes after a homeless woman, who has been living on the streets for more than a year, revealed she can’t get Universal Credit because she lost her phone.
And this woman shared how she went from living in a homeless shelter to having a successful business.
HERE is some useful information if you are homeless or know someone who is experiencing homelessness.
FIRST CONTACT
If you or someone you know is sleeping rough you can use the alert Streelink service to help connect them with outreach services: www.thestreetlink.org.uk/start
FOOD
You can find free food stations via:
The Pavement – for food and soup runs: www.thepavement.org.uk/services
Homeless Link – for day centres: www.homeless.org.uk
The Trussell Trust – for food banks: www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/
Food Cycle – for food services – www.foodcycle.org.uk/free-food-locations/
HOUSING
Councils have a duty to help people who are homeless or facing homelessness. Contact the Housing Options team from the council you have a local connection to and see if they can offer:
Visit: www.gov.uk/find-local-council
During times of severe cold or heat, local councils have special accommodation known as Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP). Find out more here: www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
For advice, support or legal services related to housing visit www.shelter.co.uk or call 0808 800 4444.
You can also contact Crisis: www.crisis.org.uk/get-help/
For housing advice, call Shelter on 0808 800 4444 or visit: www.shelter.org.uk.
DAY CENTRES
Day centres can help by providing internet access, free or cheap food, shower and laundry facilities, safe storage for belongings, phone charging and clothes, toiletries or sleeping bags.
They can also help with services for benefits or immigration advice; health support; finding work; educational or social activities; hostel, night shelter or outreach referrals.
Centres can be found through Homeless Link: www.homeless.org.uk/
BENEFITS
Normally you can claim Universal Credit if you are sleeping on the streets or staying in a hostel. If you are in a hostel, you can claim Housing Benefit to help with rent. You do not need a fixed address or a bank account.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Crisis – visit: www.crisis.org.uk or call 0300 636 1967.
Shelter – visit: www.shelter.org.uk or call 0808 800 4444.
Centrepoint (for people aged 16-25) – visit: www.centrepoint.org.uk or call 0808 800 0661.
St Mungo’s (Bath, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Christchurch, Leicester, Oxford, Poole and Reading) – visit: www.mungos.org or call 020 3856 6000.
Depaul UK (for young people) – visit: https://www.depaul.org.uk/ or call 0207 939 1220.
Citizen’s Advice (legal advice) – visit: www.citizensadvice.org.uk or call 0345 404 0506.
The Samaritans (health and wellbeing) – www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan or call 116 123.