My goal for the future is to sustain living in a place of my own, somewhere I can have my children comfortably and where we all feel safe. Being in control of my own finances and my own decisions is really important to me, as it hasn't always been the case.
When I first came in contact with Beam I was living in a fearful situation. I was afraid of my partner who I'd been living with for years. He had been intimidating and bullying me for some time but had just started to become very unpredictable. I felt like he was a ticking time bomb and I knew I had to find my way out, as hard as it seemed at the time. With some support, I was put in touch with a team from the council who helped me to move into a temporary place. Now I'm safe, it's like I can see clearly again for the first time in years.
When I first moved into temporary accommodation, I knew it would be important to find work. In the past I've had my own business but things weren't working out for it due to the pandemic. I applied for lots of different roles and managed to secure an admin job for a small company. I now need support to sustain this role. Getting help with travel money and clothes will be especially helpful as I'm struggling to make my universal credit money stretch until I get paid for the first time. I'm so grateful to be in a very different place compared with just a few months ago and I'd love to give back anyway I can.