After escaping over a decade of a very volatile relationship, I battled with addiction and had a breakdown; this resulted in my children being looked after by the local authority and myself becoming homeless.
I managed to successfully detox off alcohol over ten years ago when I met my wife. I returned to education seven years ago and got my GCSEs in Maths and English, a Level 3 in Health and Social Care and Levels 4 and 5 of a psychology degree.
I'm currently in supported housing and my sons stay frequently. There is nothing I love more than having them stay over, cooking their dinner and watching a movie; the stuff a lot of people take for granted. I plan to move out of supported housing, since I no longer require the in-depth support provided, then my sons can stay more frequently. To be able to achieve this goal I first need to gain employment due to the high cost of living and rent being unaffordable.
My long-term ambition is to become a Counsellor within the LGBTQI+ community. I will eventually return to university, finish my degree then go on to get my Masters, turning my dream into reality. I am volunteering in a peer-mentor role gaining valuable experience supporting others.
In the meantime, however, I need to find employment to put food on the table and find suitable accommodation. Since I lack experience, I am limited to the types of roles available, but I have recently secured a place on a warehouse and forklift training course.