I've always been a motivated person. I never planned to be in the situation I'm in. I wanted more for my family. When my son was born I had to leave my work. I was living with my mum but without my wages she couldn't afford the rent alone. She moved to a smaller flat and there wasn't room for us all. I had to go into emergency accommodation for 2 years. It was horrible. It didn't feel safe and we were moved from place to place.
Luckily I was then given a two year contract for a housing charity flat. We've been able to settle in. My son is doing well at school and my daughter has started nursery. This gives me the perfect opportunity to start learning and focus on getting into work. I started researching different industries. I wanted something I could thrive in.
So I chose plumbing! There's demand for women plumbers as lots of people want women working in their houses. Some of my friends were a bit surprised when they heard. Maybe some people still think it's just a job for men. But I don't mind getting my hands dirty and I believe I have what it takes.
My dream is to rent my own place and not have to keep moving around. I'd love to make it into a beautiful family home. When I heard about Beam I thought this is my chance to turn my life around and become someone - the role model to my children I've always wanted to be.
Due to the member's personal history, we've kept this profile anonymous by using a pseudonym and no identifying photo.