I Know What It
Feels Like to Be Invisible
I started Friendly Ear because I’ve lived the silence.
This isn’t just a campaign - it’s a reflection of what I needed when I was lost.
We exist to make sure no one feels forgotten, ignored, or unseen again.
Anthony's Story
There were times in my life when I felt completely invisible.
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I grew up surrounded by emotional turmoil, carrying trauma I didn’t yet have the words for. Later in life, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder — but before that, it was just survival. And silence.
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I’ve experienced homelessness — not once, but multiple times. I know what it’s like to walk the streets with nowhere to go, knowing people glance through you like you're not there.
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The cold is one thing. But it’s the emotional isolation that breaks you.​
“He didn’t ask me what I’d done. He just saw me.”
I remember one day in Blackpool. I was exhausted, ashamed, and hungry. I hadn't spoken to anyone properly in days. Then, out of nowhere, a man walked up, handed me a coffee and a sandwich, and said,
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“Here you go, mate.”
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He didn’t ask me what I’d done or how I’d ended up there.
He just saw me. And in that moment, I felt human again.
That small act of kindness stayed with me. It planted something.
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About 18 months ago, I was walking the streets of Northampton, just speaking to people — offering a few snacks and a little conversation.
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I wasn’t part of an organisation. I didn’t have a title. I just knew what it felt like to be on the other side — and I wanted people to feel seen.
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That’s when I saw her. A young woman sitting quietly in a doorway across the road. She looked like she didn’t want to be noticed.
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I’d just finished chatting with someone else, and for a moment, I almost kept walking. I wasn’t sure if she was homeless. I wasn’t sure what to say.
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But I crossed the road anyway. I sat beside her and asked if she was okay.
“I didn’t think you thought I mattered.”
– the words that started everything
She looked at me and said:
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“I didn’t think you were going to talk to me. I didn’t think you thought I mattered.”
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That moment broke me — and built me.
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That sentence stayed with me for days. For weeks. For good.
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And that’s when Friendly Ear became more than just an idea. It became a responsibility.
The Girl in the Doorway
What We Do
We don’t offer therapy. We offer humanity.
Friendly Ear creates safe, judgment-free spaces where people can talk, feel heard, and simply be. Whether on the streets, in community venues, or at dedicated Friendly Ear Days, we show up with warmth, presence, and dignity,
no strings attached.
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Listening is our act of resistance.
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We train everyday people to become powerful listeners. No agendas. No pressure. Just real connection. We believe that when someone feels truly heard, healing begins, not always in big moments, but in quiet, consistent ones.
Listening
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We give people space to talk and be heard, without trying to fix them. Just presence.
Compassion
Every person deserves warmth, dignity, and care. We meet people where they are.
No Judgement
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We listen without conditions or assumptions. No labels. No pressure. Just kindness.
Where We're Going
Friendly Ear began as one moment of compassion on the streets of Blackpool, but it’s becoming so much more. This is a movement for humanity, one conversation at a time. We believe in a future where no one feels invisible, and spaces like Friendly Ear exist in every community.
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We’re just getting started. From listening on the streets to Friendly Ear Days, training volunteers, and building awareness, we’re growing something real. And we’d love you to be part of it.
“I thought I was just offering a conversation. I didn’t realise how much it would change both of us.”
– A Volunteer Listener