I’m the type of person who always tries to see the positives, no matter how difficult life gets. And it’s fair to say I’ve had my fair share of life’s ups and downs! Counting your blessings during hard times is what you need to pull you through.
My husband left me ten years ago, and he left me with £16,500 debt. I struggled a lot throughout those years - on top of the marriage breakdown, that sheer amount of debt was a huge burden to be carrying. But with lots of hard work and determination, I’m proud to say that I single-handedly managed to pay off the entire debt. That’s something I did all by myself, and something that I’m immensely proud of.
Life’s been tricky, especially managing money and making sure I’ve got enough to live on. I’ve worked all my life and I’ve paid all my taxes, but recently I’ve been having to rely on food banks. It makes you feel really down. I don’t want to be in this situation. I had a job at my local Council where I’d been for 16 years helping people into work. I absolutely loved it! It was a great feeling supporting others into work and seeing their lives take shape. I thought it was going to be my forever job, but sadly I was made redundant.
I'm so excited to be starting work! With Beam's support I'll be able to have things that I otherwise couldn’t afford myself that will really help me along the way. Things like getting a laptop, an Oyster card and a voucher for clothes will be life-changing. I’ve not had much money leftover for food, so I’ve gone from a size 16 to a size 12 and I now desperately need new clothes for work that actually fit me!
I’d love to save up enough money to go out for a lovely meal at a nice restaurant once I'm in work. Just sitting down and having a really nice dinner - I’d love that! I just want to be happy, to find a stable job and just grow in that role.