Hannah was always looking out for other people. She was working towards a career in education, and she dreamt of one day having a chocolate lab and owning a cottage with red roses around the door. It wasn’t until she ended up in hospital that the extent of her addiction became clear…
Hannah passed away in 2017, so her story is told here by her sister Amber.
The person behind addiction and homelessness
Hannah was my older sister. She was 16 years older than me, so I probably annoyed her a lot growing up! But she was wonderful. People always mentioned her big booming laugh, and how she was always making sure everyone else was okay.
She worked with children. She got a degree in Early Years Education from Bath University and had plans to teach or work as an Ofsted inspector. She also did care work. She was a caregiver in every sense.
She had this little flat with a lovely garden. I remember her and my mum going to the garden centre, picking out flowers. She loved being out there, just tying her hair back, sitting in her pyjamas, reading a book.
She used to dream of having a cottage with red roses around the door and a chocolate Labrador. That was her lottery dream. Every time I pass a cottage now, I imagine her choosing that one.
Looking back, in the face of everything she went through, she had remarkable strength and resilience.
Hitting crisis point
The real scale of Hannah’s addiction didn’t come to light until it had reached crisis point. It turned out Hannah had been struggling with alcohol addiction for quite some time, but she kept it very well hidden.
I knew she liked white wine, and sometimes she’d make a comment like, “Let’s just finish the bottle”. I remember working in a supermarket and seeing her buy multiple bottles – eventually she started avoiding my shifts.
She was living alone, facing the pressures of life – cost of living, mortgage, bills. I think alcohol started as a comfort, but it spiralled. When things hit crisis point, we were told she was drinking 40-45 units a day. It was shocking. She’d have seizures without alcohol, but drinking was harming her too.
Getting her identity back
It was after a seizure that Hannah ended up in hospital. That’s when everything became clear – what was really happening. But even then, she wasn’t quite ready for support. There was a lot of back and forth before she finally came into Homeless Oxfordshire.
At Homeless Oxfordshire, Hannah had a key worker, and the staff were always calm and supportive. I remember one time seeing her looking really well – she had a nice top on, and she said she’d found it in their clothing donations. She looked put-together, and I know that mattered to her. She always cared about how she looked.
Another time, she was cold one night on the streets. She went in and they gave her fluffy socks. It was such a small thing, but so kind. Even though she wasn’t ready to come in fully yet, they still showed her kindness and respected her choices.
When she was in the hostel, she got involved in workshops, and I remember finding one where she’d written down how she was feeling – words like ‘worthless’. It was heartbreaking, but also so important that she had a safe space to express it.
She wasn’t a big eater, but she loved the food there – especially a cooked breakfast. She had a proper Christmas dinner there once, and a little present. All these small things helped her feel seen again.
Hannah used to avoid people she knew because she didn’t want them to ‘see her like that’. She didn’t want to be seen as someone struggling. Having access to clothes and things that made her feel like her again, having that dignity and identity back – that’s what she needed and found at Homeless Oxfordshire.
— Amber Hughes, Hannah’s sister
Making a legacy for Hannah
Sadly, after initially making good progress at Homeless Oxfordshire, Hannah passed away in 2017. The lasting impact she had on everyone at the charity is now marked by a plaque that was installed at the hostel last year.
Since Hannah’s passing, Amber has worked tirelessly to keep her memory alive and help others who have been affected by addiction and homelessness.
From launching Amber Lights in Oxford to becoming a Family Addiction Support Coach, find out more about Amber Hughes and why she’s proud to be an ambassador for our Her Way Home appeal.
