For 22 years, my family and I have lived in temporary accommodation. Over time and especially more recently, I've learnt to ask for help if you need it. With the support of my housing officer, I met Beam and now have an opportunity to take this stepping stone for my family to have a brighter future.
I was really young when my Mum, brother and I moved into emergency housing. I was so young at the time, I do not even remember it! Our family have been waiting so long to get permanent accommodation, but it’s never happened. My Mum and brother both work, but even between all of three of us, we can’t meet the rent. We have fallen so behind on the rent, that we're being evicted. I feel a huge amount of responsibility on my shoulders to support my mum and keep a roof over our heads.
I love creating and went to university in 2015. I had been there for two and a half years, but had issues with my student finance and in my final year, I had to leave. That really set me back and I felt very low for a long time. In the last few months, I’ve felt ready to look for a job again and I also really need to work.
My dream is to work in the creative industries, but right now, I need to balance my aspirations with practicality. Finding work quickly is key and office and admin work is a good place to begin. With my courses, I plan to build on my experience and update the skills I picked up from my internships and university course, that will then open many more doors for me.
In the future, I just really hope we can pay all the debts off and I am able to live a more stable life, without so much worry. Right now, I am just doing my very best to help out my mother and ensure she can live comfortably.