Homeless student reunites with 'lifesavers'

A student who unexpectedly found herself homeless has reunited with the couple who housed her, calling them "lifesavers".

Last year, Yasmina from North Shields had a family breakdown and was sleeping in her car when she was placed with Mark and Elisabeth Bryant for the night through homelessness organisation Depaul's Nightstop service.

Yasmina now has a masters degree, a full-time job and a home of her own.

She reunited with the couple to say "thank you".

Video produced by Pamela Tickell and Kristie Kinghorn.

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk

23 December 2024

Homelessness

Whitley Bay

North Shields

A split screen of Abe. On the left he is dancing and on the right he is near his portrait wearing a surprised expression.

Ballroom dancer, 11, stars in portrait exhibition

The image of Abe, taken by Christopher Owens, is on display in the National Portrait Gallery.

Tyne

Newcastle Under-12s meet veteran Andy Taylor at 'Wor Heroes' event

Young footballers hear veteran's Army experiences

Veteran Andy Taylor, a Royal Engineer who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, chats with the youngsters.

Tyne

Leo Grant, the nine-year-old tour guide giving a speech in Langley Castle

Meet Langley Castle's youngest tour guide

Nine-year-old Leo, from Whickham, has been awarded Young Battlements Tour Guide of the Year.

Tyne

Sally TM, a drag queen wearing a pink elaborate outfit against a blue sky

'I always wanted to be on Drag Race'

Twelve queens take to the runway, but will Sally TM be crowned the UK’s next Drag Race superstar?

Tyne

A skateboarder is mid-air at an indoor skatepark. The concrete is covered in graffiti

Plea to move skatepark from under doomed flyover

The Five Bridges skatepark is to be demolished, along with the crumbling Gateshead flyover.

Tyne

Jade Thirlwall spoken out against a St George's flag being put on the Angel of the North

Jade Thirlwall criticises St George's flag on Angel

The South Shields artist addressed fans at a launch event in Gateshead.

Tyne

37-year-old Syed kneeling and is surrounded by leaves and branches.

Girl waiting for transplant inspires dad to run

"I've never run for that long, but at the same time I've heard that people everywhere support you."

Tyne

Envus is stood in front of a crowd outdoors. He is wearing all black, has long brown hair and his face painted white with black accents.

'Bringing black metal back to the North East'

Evil Dungeon Crawler aim to continue the legacy of pioneering fellow Newcastle band Venom.

Tyne

A man in a white shirt has his arm around a woman, who is crying.

Tower block demolition leaves residents 'in limbo'

A final decision has been made to demolish Durham Court in Hebburn, leaving people angry.

Tyne

Two RNLI volunteers in a lifeboat. They are holding on to a red kayak after saving its users. Several people can be seen sitting in kayaks in the water behind them.

The moment 18 kayakers were rescued from the sea

The kayakers got into trouble when they were blown out to sea by force five winds, the RNLI says.

Tyne

Director Danny Boyle joined North East actor Alfie Williams at the 28 years later black carpet

Cinema rolls out 'black carpet' for 28 Years Later

Director Danny Boyle joins actor Alfie Williams at the gala screening at Newcastle's Tyneside.

Tyne

A police officer in black clothes and a white helmet chases a man in shorts across a field

Watch the moment helicopter officer caught driver

A police helicopter officer arrested danger driver Joshua Fellows after he fled into a field.

Tyne

Fans descend on city for 'local hero' Sam Fender

Thousands of Sam Fender fans descend on Newcastle for the first of three gigs at St James' Park.

Tyne

Resident Emily Rice sat on a sofa. She is smiling and has short dark grey hair.

'My plan was to die here, this was my last home'

Almost 100 older people could lose their home, as a council is due to discuss its demolition.

Tyne

A bundle of mushrooms tattooed onto a leg, superimposed over a hand reaching for a St George's mushroom

'It's my two favourite things, foraging and tattooing'

Foraged from a forest floor, nature provides unique inspiration for custom tattoos.

Tyne

A man wearing a white hair net-style cap over his head with wires.

Trial aims to silence tinnitus before it takes hold

The Newcastle study gives both electrical stimulus and sound therapy to people with early tinnitus.

Tyne

A killer whale breaching the surface of the North Sea, seen from beside a fishing boat

Fishing boat's very close encounter with orca

A fisherman captures footage of the killer whale off the Northumberland coast on Tuesday morning.

Tyne

A printed black and white picture of Otterburn Hall being held between two fingertips

'Otterburn Hall was just my whole life'

The grade II listed building closed in 2012 and has since fallen into disrepair.

Tyne

A Franciscan Brother looks pensively out of the window of Alnmouth Friary

Franciscan brother on dedicating his life to others

"We don't live for ourselves, it's not the reason why we're put on this earth."

Tyne

An aerial shot of the Newcastle Carabao Cup parade showing two open top buses driving through the city centre. The buses are flanked by two lines of police and stewards on either side of the bus wearing fluorescent jackets and crowds of people on both sides of the road

Relive Newcastle's Carabao Cup celebrations

A round-up of the scenes in Newcastle on Saturday as the city was brought to a standstill by crowds.

Tyne