I’ve always been very self-sufficient and have done all different kinds of jobs in the past. But I had a wake up call in 2012 when a river boat I was working on, on the River Thames, hit Westminster Bridge. I helped passengers to safety but it made me realise that life is short, so I decided it was time to settle down. I moved outside London and had a family, and I worked both day-jobs and night-jobs to support them. But when my relationship broke down in 2019 I had to move back here to find new work. Then came the Covid-19 pandemic, and I lost my job.
I want to work in security so I can meet new people and talk to them, which I love doing, but also so I can make sure that everyone is safe. This job will be perfect for me because of my health situation. I can't stand up for long periods and when I do CCTV I'll be able to do great work sitting down! I have had problems with pain in my foot since I was a child and I was booked in to have surgery to fix it last year, so I would be able to work properly, but the pandemic meant my surgery was cancelled. I can’t do the same types of jobs I used to do, which is why training to do this role is so important.
Once I'm in secure work my hope is that I will finally be able to move into my own place. I live in a shared house right now and I wish I could afford somewhere where I can be independent so that my kids can come to stay with me. When I have a stable job and make a bit of extra money, I want to do the things with my kids that we used to do like going to soft play areas and zoos.
This year has been really difficult. I don't usually reach out to people, but through Beam I'm learning that it's okay to seek help if you're struggling.