When the happy hours are not enough to dispel the misery of living, and the drug induced highs are eclipsed by incredible lows, the party has to stop. For many young people chasing a better life in Tenerife, the dream turns into a frightening reality. That’s when The Living Room in the nightlife heartland of Playa de Las Americas can offer a safety net.
Perched on top of a fast food joint and a pole dancing bar, The Living Room has been a beacon of hope for seven years. Aimed at the 18 to 30 crowd, it stretches out a hand to those that have succumbed to the excesses of drink and drugs. Toni came from a rough area in Birmingham, having dabbled in the rave scene and its related drugs. “I came to Tenerife for a holiday and found bar work, I hadn’t really drunk much before but I was soon binge drinking. Most mornings I didn’t know how I had got home, it was cheap nights out as most bars knew me and I got offered free shots and drinks.”
It took the death of a friend to shock her into seeking help. “A friend of mine was barred from the bar I worked in and a few hours later he overdosed on drugs and died. I was in a mess and started praying in desperation, and then I was put in touch with Lee who runs The Living Room. He helped with funeral arrangements and through him and the Breakfree Ministries I found God and feel happy with myself at last. I have been clean for over two years and I’m training to help other addicts.”
Lee Mountford helped to set up The Living Room; from an idea in 2000, through desperate fund raising and hard work, to converting the former bar and grill into the drop-in centre it is now. The sign above the building clearly identifies it as a Christian centre but Lee stresses that although they live by Christian values, it’s not a message that is rammed home by the seven full and part time staff. “We try to offer respect, love, help and not judge people. I came over here to work as a PR (enticing customers into bars) but lost the plot; the church saved me and now I try to do the same for others.”
The Living Room only opens from 4pm to 7pm Tuesday to Friday but they also go out into the local night time community. “Three of us volunteer to mingle with people in Veronicas, Starco and The Patch three nights a week from 11pm to 4am, we get to know people and hopefully they learn to trust us and can come to us with their problems. We can put people in touch with other helpful groups such as the Amigo de Lourdes drug rehab centre in Abades.”
Steve, a former heroin addict, is now able to draw on his horrific experiences to guide others in a new direction. ” I left Bolton and travelled a lot before settling in Tenerife. I used cheap alcohol to replace the heroin rush and after working here in timeshare, I lost my job and apartment and ended up sleeping in boarded up shops in Puerto Colon.”
Luckily for Steve, Toni came across him and got him into the Abades centre and then involved with The Living Room. ” It’s crazy; at the height of my problems I was paying money I didn’t have to try to feel as content as I am now. But I couldn’t see any hope at the time.”
The recession and crash in tourist visitors has seen an increase in homelessness but Steve can offer some temporary hope. “There is the Alberg hostel in Taco, Santa Cruz that will take people in.” Lee knows how easy it is to get to that level. “Some people come to Tenerife to escape problems they already have, and others fall for a combination of drink, drugs, sex, lack of decent food, working strange hours and no family to support them.” The Living Room doesn’t have all the answers, but their staff have experienced the problems, and can at least point people in the right direction.
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