REAL LIFE STORIES
Families come to us for all sorts of reasons, often as a result of life events that are both varied and complex. Below are stories from ex-residents. All are true and present a very real picture of their situation before, during and after their stay with Save the Family.
STELLA
Stella’s story is not just about survival; it’s about resilience, strength, and the power of support. Her journey began in the shadows of fear and pain, but it’s now illuminated by the light of possibility and newfound optimism.
At the age of 28, Stella found herself trapped in a cycle of domestic abuse. The man she once loved had become a source of terror, as he abused Stella both physically and mentally. With two young children to protect, Stella made the brave decision to flee. With nothing but a few belongings and a heart heavy with uncertainty, she sought refuge in a shelter. Surrounded by compassionate individuals who understood her pain, she slowly began to rebuild her life. It wasn’t easy; there were nights when the memories of the past haunted her dreams, and days when the weight of the future felt overwhelming.
The refuge referred Stella and her children to Save the Family as we are a charity dedicated to helping families like Stella’s to get back on their feet, and often receive referrals from refuges. From the moment Stella was referred to us, she felt a sense of relief as she felt we not only offered her temporary shelter, but a lifeline towards a brighter future.
With the support of our staff here at Save the Family, Stella began to believe in herself and her own strength. But Stella’s journey wasn’t hers alone; it was a path she walked hand in hand with her children, who we also supported offering them stability, security, and a chance to flourish. With our help, Stella’s children thrived at their new local school, their laughter echoing through the halls as they made friends and discovered the joy of learning.
As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, and with the guidance of Save the Family, Stella secured a job and began to prepare to move on with her family. Eventually, the moment Stella had been working towards arrived and she was handed the keys to her new home.
Stella’s story is a testament to both her hard work and resilience, and the work of the staff here at Save the Family and is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always a flicker of hope waiting to be ignited.
Catherine
Catherine’s journey with Save the Family began when she was unfortunately evicted from her home due to her struggles with drug addiction. Catherine felt like she had hit rock bottom and was in an incredibly vulnerable position, but the staff here at Save the Family welcomed Catherine and her two children with open arms.
During her initial few weeks with Save the Family, Catherine accepted and welcomed the support provided to her and her children with unwavering determination. With the support of our mentors, support workers and children’s team, Catherine and her children are slowly rebuilding their lives.
Save the Family has a no-tolerance policy with drugs and alcohol, which has provided Catherine with a safe and supportive environment, enabling her to focus on herself and her children. The bond between Catherine and her children has flourished and they are all now forming cherished memories that will last a lifetime.
As time has moved on, Catherine is starting to feel more positive about the future, and we hope that our ongoing work with only help to improve her confidence. The road ahead will continue to be challenging for Catherine and her children, however our amazing staff here at Save the Family will continue to work with them daily and offer support and guidance in the areas they need.
This work can only be completed thanks to the amazing donations and funding we are so grateful to receive, and these will go a long way to helping Catherine and her children grow towards a brighter future.
Jayne
We work hard with each of our families to make sure that all their needs are addressed. The case of Jayne and her three children demonstrates the benefits of supporting the whole family, particularly when there is a range of complex needs.
Jayne has 3 children and has been living with Save The Family for 14 months. Her youngest daughter has a sever and rare disability and needs a lot of support. Jayne herself has a severe disability which means she is constantly in pain and in need of support herself.
She got into problems with rent arrears and had a disagreement with her local housing association which resulted in her being evicted. Jayne also suffers from mental health problems and in her words has “had a very difficult life, I’ve suffered lots of abuse of all kinds.”
Jayne was extremely vulnerable when she first came to Save The Family and initially kept herself to herself for the first few months. However, she now feels much for confident in herself and sees a change and resilience in her children that was not there before.
“My daughter is so much happier now. They have got her into a Special Needs school and this has made all the difference.”
Save The Family has helped her daughter access mental health support and has also adapted the family’s living accommodation to enable them to live independently.
“No matter what we need, they have provided solutions for. It’s been fantastic.”
Her son, before coming to Save The Family, was “always naughty, always abusive and we would fight all the time. Now he is happier and I think it’s because he knows I am happier in myself. There is less stress around.”
Her son is now participating in a Duke of Edinburgh award which Save The Family organised and according to Jayne, “this has been the making of him.”
Save The Family has also supported Jayne in accessing community learning and she recently completed an NVQ Level 1 in Drug Awareness. She reported having gained a real sense of achievement from doing this.
“I loved doing it, it’s really made a difference to my self-esteem and now I just want to do more”
Sharon
We also provide outreach support for people who continue to need us after they have settled back into community. This is an essential part of the successful rehabilitation of families. Sharon’s case shows how we are able to support families even when they are back in the community again.
Sharon stayed at Save The Family last year from January to April after a relationship breakdown and becoming homeless.
“I was desperate, I had three children and my Mum was really poorly at the time and I had nowhere to go”.
She felt vulnerable and needed somewhere to stay, some advice and emotional support to help get her through a difficult period in her life.
“When I arrived my confidence was very low and I needed someone to talk to and help with keeping my kids safe and happy. I felt like I was letting them down.”
Sharon received support in getting housing, accessing the correct benefits and registering with a local GP service.
“They did everything for me, it was amazing to be able to hand it all over to someone. At the time I couldn’t have done that.”
Sharon soon got her confidence and self-esteem back and was ready to move on. Save The family helped her set up her home when leaving Plas Bellin.
“They helped me move, helped me get the water on and get a TV licence. They also gave me some furniture and curtains. They did the sort of thing your family would do if they could.”
Sharon has settled back into the community and is coping well. She was still in contact with staff at Save The Family and tended to call them for any help she needed.
“I spoke to them recently about some child care issues I had and they still help. It’s been wonderful.”
Madeline
When Madeline arrived on site with her mother Kathryn, she was three months old. For the first three months of her life she had lived with a foster carer and had never spent longer than one night with Kathryn. She had been taken into care almost immediately after she was born.
Madeline was the ninth child that Kathryn had given birth to; all of the previous eight children had been removed from Kathryn’s care because of her poor parenting. Kathryn had several relationships but the most recent was with a man who abused her. But because Kathryn loved him, she put up with it and put him before her children, allowing them to witness their parent’s violent relationship and Kathryn’s increasing journey into depression. Kathryn’s confidence and self-esteem was low and she neglected the wellbeing and safeguarding of her children, to a point that they were removed from her and placed, firstly, in foster care and, later, adopted.
Kathryn’s oldest child was 12 years old and Kathryn was 36 when she found she was expecting her ninth child. Social care eventually decided to give Kathryn one last chance to prove that she could be a good mother. Her lifestyle had changed significantly and she came to live at Save the Family’s site. Kathryn really wanted to prove she could be a good mother but because she had “failed her other children”, as she put it, she wanted help.
Madeline was a beautiful baby but Kathryn felt as though she wasn’t settling and the social worker was concerned about their level of attachment. So, with an agreed support plan in place, Kathryn embarked on an 11 month learning curve. It was a rocky road, but Kathryn was receptive to advice and engaged with us every day. We explored routines: singing and talking to your baby; baby massage; stimulating play; messy play; feeding,weaning and healthy eating; and we talked about Kathryn being the primary educator in her baby’s life. We showed her how the Early Years Foundation Stage worked and helped discover ways to enhance her daughter’s development.
Madeline and Kathryn grew closer and closer. Madeline was growing into a confident and lively toddler who was dressed beautifully, ate a healthy balanced diet, attended all appointments and obviously loved her mother, who also adored her in return. The two laughed and learned together and were eventually ready to re-join their community.
We still hear from them regularly and things are still positive. Kathryn and Madeline are now visiting nurseries in the area as Kathryn has been offered a part-time job. Kathryn has given Madeline the very best start in life and believes that her time at Cotton Hall Farm has made the difference and helped her turn her life around.
Jayne has 3 children and has been living with Save The Family for 14 months. Her youngest daughter has a sever and rare disability and needs a lot of support. Jayne herself has a severe disability which means she is constantly in pain and in need of support herself.
She got into problems with rent arrears and had a disagreement with her local housing association which resulted in her being evicted. Jayne also suffers from mental health problems and in her words has “had a very difficult life, I’ve suffered lots of abuse of all kinds.”
Jayne was extremely vulnerable when she first came to Save The Family and initially kept herself to herself for the first few months. However, she now feels much for confident in herself and sees a change and resilience in her children that was not there before.
“My daughter is so much happier now. They have got her into a Special Needs school and this has made all the difference.”
Save The Family has helped her daughter access mental health support and has also adapted the family’s living accommodation to enable them to live independently.
“No matter what we need, they have provided solutions for. It’s been fantastic.”
Her son, before coming to Save The Family, was “always naughty, always abusive and we would fight all the time. Now he is happier and I think it’s because he knows I am happier in myself. There is less stress around.”
Her son is now participating in a Duke of Edinburgh award which Save The Family organised and according to Jayne, “this has been the making of him.”
Save The Family has also supported Jayne in accessing community learning and she recently completed an NVQ Level 1 in Drug Awareness. She reported having gained a real sense of achievement from doing this.
“I loved doing it, it’s really made a difference to my self-esteem and now I just want to do more”