After over seven years of running René House, what are the moments that make it all worthwhile?

Running supported accommodation isn't an easy job. But there are moments, both small and large, that remind you exactly why you do this work.

We sat down with our Founders, Tiff and Theo, to ask about some of the moments that have stuck with them over the years. Their answers reveal two sides of the same story: the resident transformations and the team that makes them possible.

A Father Reunited With His Children.

One memory from the early days that has stayed with Tiff all these years, is a story about a man that came to René House experiencing homelessness. He'd lost contact with his children due to a genuine miscommunication - one of those situations where a misunderstanding quickly spirals with devastating consequences.

René House housed him, helped him access legal aid, and supported him toward independence. But more importantly than that, we helped him work towards reuniting with his children.

It wasn't a quick or simple process. But he kept working at it, and we kept supporting him through the process. Eventually, he was reunited with his kids and went on to gain full custody. Years later, he's still living happily with his children now. There doesn’t get much more feel-good than that.
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100 Days Sober and Giving Back.

"There are countless stories like this throughout the years," Tiff says. "We're not as involved in the day-to-day, nitty-gritty anymore, but we know those stories are still happening through our support team."

And they are. Just recently, the support team shared news about a resident who's over 100 days sober. He's now volunteering at a recovery service - giving back, and supporting others on the same journey he's been on.

"We're super proud of him," Tiff says. "Being able to facilitate success stories like that genuinely makes it worth it. Even if we're not in it day-to-day anymore, we know it's still there working away. That's why we set it up, and why our amazing team does such a good job and aligns with our ethos and values to keep it going."

The success stories aren't always big and dramatic. Sometimes it's 100 days sober. Sometimes it's securing employment. Sometimes it's maintaining a tenancy for the first time in years. But they all matter. Every single one.

Seeing the Team Through Fresh Eyes.

Theo's answer for his ‘memorable moment’ comes from a bit of a different angle.

"Just this week, I was onboarding a new employee. After her first week, hearing her perspective on what she'd witnessed - how our team operated, the genuine care people took in their roles, how that impacted her - it honestly blew me away."

When you're running an organisation like this, things can get stressful. You can understandably get caught up in day-to-day operations, problem-solving, and keeping everything moving forward. "You forget to step back and actually see what's happening around you. To recognise the people doing their bit."

But seeing it through a new employee's eyes and hearing how everyone showed up with genuine care, that was a lovely moment of clarity for Theo.

Two Sides of the Same Story.

Whilst Tiff's stories are about resident impact - families reunited, recovery milestones reached, lives rebuilt. Theo's story is about the team and culture. But both matter equally.

You simply can't have resident success without a team that genuinely cares and shows up with compassion. And you can't sustain a team doing this difficult work without seeing the impact - without knowing that what they're doing matters and changes lives.

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