Cost of living: Derby dad's £50 boots helped him get back on his feet

A man who lost his job has said he got back on his feet after a charitable fund helped him buy a pair of boots.

Gary Turnbull, 32, from Derby, said he had been unable to afford the £49.98 cost of the steel-capped boots he needed to do a tiling course.

He was helped with the purchase by Sylvester's Fund, a charitable fund set up by a housing trust.

Mr Turnbull said having the boots enabled him to take a qualification course as a tiler, a career he loved.

'Therapeutic'

Mr Turnbull, who was diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia and autism, said for a time he had been unable to afford to feed his family.

"The last couple of years have been quite a journey for me," he said.

"Two years ago I saw myself in a hole I was never going to get out of.

"I was sitting in my garage crying my eyes out because I couldn't afford to feed my family."

One day, he said he had been helping out a friend who was fitting bathrooms and he realised he was good at tiling.

After being helped to buy the boots, he said he was enjoying his year-long course.

"I absolutely love it. I wish I could do it five days a week. It's therapeutic," he said.

"With tiling, you have to be a few steps ahead of where your hands are.

"With ADHD, the way my brain functions, my brain runs three or four steps ahead.

"For me to tile is hands-on. I am creating my livelihood with my hands.

"The cost of the boots is irrespective of the value it creates in the long term."

A spokesperson for the Derventio Housing Trust, which runs the fund, said it gave practical support to those who have accessed their services, paying for a wide range of things including training courses, laptops and white goods to help furnish a new flat.