Nora’s story: Seeing my son happy makes me happy

Unsuitable housing

Nora, 23, gave birth to her son in early 2025, where he had been living in her family home with her sisters and parents. However, due to some challenges in the relationship with her family and overcrowding in the home, Nora had to leave. She recached out to the council and they placed her and her young son into temporary accommodation.

“I was at my family home before and then there were some issues between me and my mum. And that house had seven of us living in a three bedroom, so there wasn’t really space for me and a baby. So, we had to move out and I was in temporary accommodation with the council before and that started in April.”

Nora was trying to get settled into her new home; however, it became clear very early on that it wasn’t suitable for her and her young son. To begin with, the flat was on the first floor with no lift and as she had recently had a C-Section it made getting in and out of the space very hard with the buggy, without the support of her sisters.  

Alongside the flat being inaccessible for her, it was also very far away from her family. That meant that her support system was further away and wasn’t able to be around as she and her newborn began to grow as a family.

“The place they put me it, it wasn’t really great. They put me in a tiny one bedroom, and it really wasn’t ideal. It was upstairs on the first floor but there was no lift, and I had just had my son and had a C-Section. So going up and down the stairs we couldn’t really go out when we were living there because I would have to carry a baby, carry and buggy and it was a really heavy buggy. And because I had a C-Section I couldn’t really do it unless my sister was with me, or someone could help me with the stairs.” 

“I had my son, and they put us in somewhere quite far away – I wasn’t used to that area because I grew up somewhere else. When my sister’s visited me, they would have to take the bus for about an hour.”

On top of how inaccessible the flat had become, the person who had lived in the home before was a heavy smoker, leaving the flat with a thick smell of cigarette smoke. It had gotten so bad, that when Nora and her son did leave the flat, her son’s clothes were covered with the smell. 

However, when the council came to check the flat, they refused to accept that the flat was unsuitable, despite Nora sharing her real concerns. 

“I remember also talking to the council because as soon as you go into the flat, there was a really strong smell of cigarettes. I think they told me the that the previous owner was excessively smoking inside the house and not opening any windows. And I was like, ‘how is this ok for a 12-week-old baby?’.” 

“And then they came and visited the flat, and they said they couldn’t smell anything, but I couldn’t believe they couldn’t smell anything – it got to the point, that if I went out and my sisters held my son, they would be able to smell the smoke on him.” 

After the council visit, she continued back and forth with them to see if they could move her somewhere that was more suitable for her and her small child. However, after months and months of emails and phone calls, she wasn’t getting any closer to an answer. Feeling dejected and not knowing what to do, she started to give up that there might be something more suitable and tried to make do with the space that they had.

“And after a lot of back and forth with the council, I just gave up. I just thought you know what, this is fine. We’ll just see how long we are here for and that’s when I got told I was being referred. I think about a month went by and I hadn’t heard from them, and they said they were waiting for someone to move out and I hadn’t heard anything and so I was like I give up now and we’re just going to have to stay here.” 

Just as she thought there might not be another option, she got a call from the YMCA and Centrepoint to ask her to come in for an interview to see if she might be able to move into one of their mother and baby homes. After a short interview process, she was given the keys on the same day and moved into her new flat.

“I got a call from Centrepoint to tell me they were going to do an interview with me, and I went in three days later and they gave me the keys the same day. So, I just moved in straight away and ever since I’ve be there.”

Moving to Centrepoint

Nora wasn’t sure what to expect from mother and baby supported home but instantly felt at home and was grateful for the support that her key worker, Menna, was able to give her. Together they were able to look at her finances and see where there might be areas she could save which especially helped her after her income went down when she went on maternity leave.

Alongside support with budgeting, Menna was also there to support Nora as she navigated motherhood and all the complexities and new things that come from looking after a newborn. She was able to remind Nora if there were things she might need, like a baby gate, which helped to take some stress of her shoulders.

“It’s been really good here and such a big help. Without Centrepoint I don’t think it would have been the same with me and it’s just all been really helpful. I’ve learned a lot and Menna helps by sending me links to get things I might need.

“Our key work sessions have been really helpful and Menna helps with stuff I’ve forgotten because it’s very easy to get caught up and overwhelmed. So Menna will send me links, so I don’t forget to buy like a baby gate, and I’d be like oh my god, I actually need to buy that. He’s almost 8 months so he’s going to be crawling soon.”

Before having her son, Nora was working as a radiographer in an NHS hospital and since having her son, was on a reduced maternity pay. She realised that not only the cut to her pay but then having to support her child on her salary, meant that she was finding it much harder to save and to afford all day-to-day essentials. 

Her and Menna looked at all of her outgoings to see if there were areas she could cut down or move into savings, to give her a bit of peace of mind and plan for the future. She’s now been able to put money regularly into her savings account, which means that when she’s ready to move on into her own space, she will have enough to cover all that she needs to make the space her own.

“It’s been really helpful because my income went down quite a lot when I went on maternity leave and then I was thinking to myself, how am I going to be able to save.”

“Before when you don’t have a child, it’s a lot easier to save. But when you have a child, I was like ‘oh my goodness’. But then I realised you can actually break everything down and then I realised how much income I actually had left – even after putting money away or going out with friends, I actually had some money I could put into savings.”

“I had a lot of anxiety at the beginning, thinking ahead as well. When I eventually move out of where I am now, and then having to buy furniture and everything, I was like ‘how am I going to do it?’. But I’ve actually started saving so that’s good.”

Alongside looking at budgeting and managing her savings, Nora also got advice from Menna and other key workers around supporting her young son and keeping a safe environment for him to grow up in.

“We did stuff like to do with my son, safe sleep and then bringing people around your child or things like day-to-day budgeting and how to save better. Everything that you can bring into everyday life.”

Alongside having a more suitable accommodation, being able to work with different teams and get advice and guidance on supporting herself and her young son, has helped her to feel more confident and get ready to move into her own home.

“I feel like with budgeting and everything else, if I had stayed in temporary accommodation, I wouldn’t have had anyone to do the budgeting with me and I’d have to do it by myself. It’s been really helpful.” 

After not knowing what to expect and having faced issues and struggles with her previous home, being closer to her support system and having Menna with her to help has relieved a lot of stress from her shoulders and meant she can focus on her and her son. 

“It's been quite hard to get through but I’m just thankful that it is actually a lot better being here compared to where I was before. Especially because I’m in the same borough this time and it’s nicer to be closer to my sisters.”

Making her space her own

When Nora first moved to Centrepoint, her room was very bare, and she didn’t have many things to decorate the space and make it feel like it reflective her. Through the Style Your Space vouchers, she was given some funds towards buying a few decorative items to help make her new home feel like hers and help out with some household items. 

After getting the voucher, she put this towards a new rug, as well as some crockery that her and her son could use. 

“Centrepoint has been really helpful. When I first moved in, I think a month afterwards, I got a voucher to buy some things, and I used it in Argos. We got a rug; some plates and bowls and it was really helpful. It’s been really good.”

“The house before was quite bland and even when I bought the rug with the voucher, it just makes a difference even when you walk in now. It just a looks a bit more put together. And then with the bowls and plates, because the ones I had before I had to get some more because they kept breaking.”

Going back to work

After being on maternity leave for 8 months, Nora is due to go back to work in the new year. Now that she has her young child, she’s looking at changing her working patterns so that she can make sure to be there for him and find a good balance for them both. 

“Before I used to work four days a week and my maternity comes to an end in mid-April and then I’ll be going back to work. I want to make sure to focus on him and also work as well. When I go back, I’ll probably do two days a week and see where it takes me. I want to spend a lot of time with my son because I feel like working a lot is intense – working is intense as well as being a mum so I’m just going to see how I can balance that.”

Nora got interested in radiography when she was finishing her A-levels and looking at where her skills lay. She hadn’t thought about it as a career but knew that she wanted to work in the NHS. After looking at the course and the mixture of lectures and practical experience, she felt like it was something she could really excel in.  

“I was looking at different posts and there was even teaching and things like that and then I saw radiography because I always knew I wanted to be in the NHS and helping people. I just started reading about it and then I realised I might actually like this. I was studying 50% of the time and 50% I was on placement. I learn more when I’m actually doing something, so I really liked that idea. And when I started, I realised that I really was enjoying it.”

After finishing her degree, she was placed into a nearby hospital where she began her role as a radiographer, taking scans of patients to help diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. She finds the role really rewarding, being able to help people who are in pain to get to the root of what is going on and the mixture of different things she can be involved with. 

“No two days are the same – you go in and there’s lots of different departments that you can work in as well. You can even go up to theatre as well – I didn’t really like going up there because I was very squeamish before I did my degree, but I think I’ve gotten used to it. I’m just helping people as well. When people come to you, they are in a lot of pain, so it’s been nice to help, and I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”

Bonding with her son

Nora was not expecting to become a mother, and after a being in her role for a short while went on maternity leave to spend time with her son and grow together as a family. He is now the centre of her world, and the bond between them is clear to anyone who meets them. 

He’s quickly become a part of her wider family as well, with her sisters wanting to spend all the time with him they can.

“Seeing him happy makes me happy. I wasn’t expecting to become a mother but just having him there makes me so happy. I like going out with my sisters and they just love him so much - they would see him every day if they could.”

Whilst on maternity leave, they’ve had a lot of time to grow together with her son enjoying listening to Nora sing around the house or even doing the household chores!

“We do a lot of singing activities, and he really loves it when I sing to him or when you talk to him. He likes staying at home and playing with toys, as well as reading books and things like that. He’s a very content baby. He’s even just happy sitting in his highchair watching me cook or clean and things like that.”

Reflecting on her journey

When Nora first arrived at Centrepoint, she was unsure of what to expect about moving into a home designed to support young mothers and their babies. She was nervous about moving away from her support system, but after beginning to work with her new team and start her independent life, her anxiety began to fade. 

“When I first came into the process, I was really anxious because I was moving out and I had my sisters and parents before. But moving out it’s like starting a new chapter, but it’s not as scary as you think it is and that’s why I’m glad that I came to Centrepoint – it’s just made the experience a lot better.”

“Some people talk about mother and baby in a negative way, and I’d heard a few things before, but I would say just don’t really listen to that. I think the support that you get here is really good. Even yesterday I was talking to Menna, and she was like if you need anything just call. Or she’s downstairs most of the time, so even just having that person there to feel like support and that you don’t feel alone. It’s really not as scary as you think.”

As the end of the year approaches, Nora is planning her goals for the following year, thinking about what she wants to achieve and what steps she can take to get there. She’s determined this year to stick to her plans and get where she wants to be.

“I really want to stick to my goals as well – rather than just writing them down and then leaving them halfway through the year.”

It’s clear to everyone wo meets Nora how dedicated she is to her son, and we wish them both all the best for their future together.