A man who turned his life around said being homeless was like “giving up all the dreams I had.”

Daniel Wozniak said he was sleeping in a tent in Bestwood, Nottinghamshire, after losing his job as a lorry driver.

The 41-year-old man, who has been barely sleeping in different parts of the country for nearly a year, said the experience made him feel like he had lived a “wasted life”.

Now speaking from her home in Nottingham, she has shared her experiences to show others that there is hope and support for them.

Losing his job and a bitter separation due to his employer’s bankruptcy were just the beginning of a difficult journey for Mr. Wozniak.

“I was supposed to find a job in Southampton but I lost my (train) ticket so I became homeless and spent nine months in London.

“I had a motorcycle accident, I broke eight vertebrae, my right wrist and my collarbone. My spine is a metal plate.”

Mr Wozniak, who is originally from Poland and has lived in England for 14 years, said his experience of being homeless left him unable to remember the timeline and specific periods in detail.

What he can remember, however, are feelings of loss and loneliness.

“(Being homeless) is like giving up everything, I can’t really explain it, you have to feel it,” he added.

“It was like giving up on every dream I had.

“The first night, everything was stolen, I was alone.

“It’s like the worst, you can’t pay attention to anything and it’s hard.”

He says his mental health deteriorated due to homelessness and adds: “(Being homeless) is like shutting yourself in. (It made me feel) I had a wasted life.”

“Before (I was homeless), I didn’t even know what kind of thoughts I could have that everything could fall apart in a week.”

But he says his life took a turn for the better when a member of the Framework charity approached him.

Mr Wozniak rented a charity-owned one-bedroom flat in Carrington last year.

He says he’s also been able to keep pets like cats and lizards, which he says have been an important part of his recovery.

“They lift me up,” he says. “I had no purpose when I was homeless, so there you have it.”

Mr. Wozniak says he is still adjusting to his new life, but is cautious about looking too far ahead because he never thought he would be living on the streets.

“I don’t want to rush anything, I don’t set goals for myself, once I had them everything fell apart. But (now) it’s better. I have no idea where I’ll be at the time of year.”

They have regular check-ins with social worker Anthony Cuts and he said: “We support homeless tenants and provide them with extra support with problems they face, such as bills and doctor appointments.

“Daniel has settled in and is still going, but we are here to help him move forward.”