Holly, 20, came to Centrepoint almost a year ago with her three-year-old son following a breakdown in the relationship with her mum. She was moved into a mother and baby supported home where she has built a strong sense of community and has gotten involved with a range of different creative activities. She's now finishing her level 2 qualifications and will soon start a new role as a carer, before pursuing her dream career of being a prison officer.
Coming to Centrepoint
Holly, 20, came to Centrepoint almost a year ago with her three-year-old child following a breakdown in the relationship with her mum. As Holly had to leave the home, she began to see what options were available to her to move into. She was referred to Centrepoint by the local council to a supported home for mothers and babies. Whilst being moved into the home, she also realised she needed some support with living independently and one day moving into her own home, skills that Centrepoint could help her to develop.
“Me and my mam would have murdered each other if I didn’t move out because we clashed all the time. Also, I needed help with me moving on and getting a stable home”.
When she first arrived at her new home, she didn’t know what to expect but has been surprised by the support she’s received, developing close relationships with her key workers and the jobs and education trainers. “It’s been alright, a lot, lot better than I thought it would be at first. All of the staff have been such a support, especially Ash and Monika. Ash helps me when I’ve got problems, and Monika helps me get through my maths”.
Trying new skills
After having been at Centrepoint for only a short time, Holly quickly got stuck into life at her supported home and has been enjoying the different activities on offer.
She recently took part in a pottery painting class that came to her supported home, run by Adventure into Art, a non-profit organisation which supports people's mental health and wellbeing through arts and crafts. She heard about the the class through her support workers and was excited by the opportunity to take up something creative and new - especially if her son was able to come along with her. “The staff told me about it with a leaflet through the letterbox and also sent me a text to come along on the day. They were talking about it when they saw me, and I came because I wanted to do some pottery painting”.
She took part in the pottery painting with her young son, finding the class a good opportunity for them both to switch off from the world and make something together. “I felt interested in the pottery and it kept me concentrated on something for a while! It made my son feel happy getting involved with the painting”.
She was really pleased that she could bring her son along to the workshop and give him the opportunity to try something new, although he did end up quite messy! “My son painted a seahorse with a curly tail. I think my son enjoyed it even though he’s stained all of his clothes!”
She’s excited by the opportunity to learn and try her hand at more activities in the future, counting down the days until the next time she can try something new. Alongside the pottery painting, she's also really enjoyed that her supported home as had cookery classes where she can try out a range of different cuisines. “I’d love to learn how to make things like curries and I want to do more cooking”.
Living with Centrepoint
Holly said that a usual day for her and her son is playing together, speaking with neighbours and working closely with staff members, something that has come to be important to her whilst living in her supported home. When thinking about the things that bring her joy in her day-to-day life she said, “an early bedtime for my son brings me joy, so I can get some chill time, and I enjoy coming to see the staff for a chat”.
She’s enjoyed the sense of community that she developed with the staff members and also with the other young people and their children in the supported home. She fondly remembers having Christmas dinner with the support workers and other young people last year and also the different creative activities that they hosted over Easter time, which has helped her to settle in and bring joy to her and her son. “I take part in crafts, and I really enjoy it when it goes right. I also got involved with Easter crafts and made an Easter bonnet, as well as painting a ceramic egg and plant pot”.
Holly has also recently been working closely with the CP Works team, where Monika, her Centrepoint jobs and education trainer, has been helping her with her Maths qualifications. She was finding it hard to complete everything around the qualification but has now been to finish them earlier this year – a huge achievement and showcases her dedication to her and her son's future.
Looking to their future
When she thinks about the future and what she would like to happen next, she has a clear goal in mind of what she wants to achieve, “I want a stable home and to find a good paying job so I can live my life”.
She’s currently at college finishing her Level 2 qualifications and will soon start a new role as a carer. However, for Holly, she has ambitions of one day taking up a role as a prison officer, which she feels confident she would excel at.
Reflecting back on her experiences and not knowing what to expect from the supported home, she was worried that she wouldn’t have the freedom to do the things that she wanted or be able to get involved in so many different activities. However, after living at her supported home for just under a year, she's really build a strong community and has grown her own independent living skills, ready for her and her son to move into their own space in the near future.
We wish Holly and her son all the best with their future and with their next steps as they move into their own home.
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