My Success Story: Rachel

My story really began in 1993 when I started senior school. In school I really tried to fit in as I always felt growing up that I never really fit in anywhere. I never really tried in school and jumped class whenever I possibly could. I left when I was 15 and I’d fallen pregnant with my oldest daughter. I did not sit any exams and so left school with no qualifications. After school I had problems with drugs and abusive relationships but eventually I got out of these and looked to the future.

For the past 5 years, I have been a stay at home mum with my children until my youngest child Layla turned 5 and I went on to claim job seekers allowance. This was scary and I felt really depressed by it. But no matter how scared and nervous and new and frightening it was I was going to tackle it head on no matter what. The job centre put me on a work programme with triage. I was terrified the first time I met my advisor Julie at triage but I asked her to put me on a computer course and she sent me to the Hope Foundation.

I did a maths and English assessment to find out which course would be best suited to me. I then started an IT for work course and that was it: I was addicted. Sarah, who runs the course, with her helpers Anthony and Barry, was so welcoming and supportive. I started using the computers and quickly realised that I knew more than I thought about them. Since starting the course my confidence has gone from strength to strength and I look forward to coming to the Hope Foundation every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. My tutor Sarah has sent me some lovely e-mails telling me that she was impressed by my computer skills which I saved in my favourites in my e-mail and whenever I’m feeling like I’m not good at anything I take a look at that e-mail and it makes me feel so much better about things. The people who I have met at the Hope Foundation have also helped to make my experience here a magical one everyone is so welcoming and friendly it is just like one big happy family and I couldn’t be happier.

Sarah my tutor has said I could apply to volunteer in the Hope Foundation once my IT for work course has finished. I will also enrol in further maths and English courses so that I can complete gain certificates stating that I have passed these courses so we can make me a record of achievement as I never got one in school.

I am feeling very positive about my future and future employment I may gain whether it is paid work or voluntary work that will benefit me also in gaining new skills for mine and my children’s bright future ahead.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story.