The most challenging issue I face at the moment is the cost and time it takes to get my children to their school. Last month it cost £600 in fuel and over 12 hours per week travelling in the car. It is exhausting.
One of my daughters is partially sighted and moving to a different school would be extremely detrimental to her and potentially set her back up to 2 years educationally. This has forced me to reduce my work hours so that I am able to get them to school. In turn, this has meant that I have to rely on universal credit to make up for the reduction in my wage. I have never been in a position where I cannot support myself and my children and I find this extremely difficult to accept.
Seeing my children with no stability, suffering from exhaustion, and being emotionally affected by this situation is heartbreaking. It is very difficult to accept help, but knowing I will be in a position to help others in the future eases my conscience. I am very grateful that there are people willing to help me buy the essential items we need to turn our home into a stable environment.
When I am settled, I would like to start a business that provides support to parents and carers who work in careers that are not flexible. Alongside this, I would also like to continue working in the prison environment with young offenders. A long way to go, but I will get there!