In 2025, Don published a book about his life. Here, Don tells us how getting support to share his experience has helped him to confront his past and inspire others.
What’s your book about?
My book covers the journey of my life. It starts with my childhood in care and then being homeless at 16. It then goes on to describe getting an education, being a breakdancing champion and a martial arts instructor.
When I was two, my parents died and I was put into care. I lived in a care home in Thurso, the most northerly town in Scotland. The lady there was very abusive towards me when I was about 6 years old. As I got older, I discovered I was living with CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and FND (Functional Neurological Disorder). This was because I had never dealt with that had happened to me as a child.
The book is really about how your past doesn’t have to destroy your future. Instead, your past can be powerful, and it can help create your future. That’s why I called the book The Unwanted Gift. You wouldn’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone, but my experiences gave me the fire to achieve a great life.
What made you decide to write the book?
It started when I turned 42. I had achieved amazing things, but my mental health was really bad at this point. I had anxiety, low self-esteem, and my behavior was self-destructive.
My sister reached out to me. She told me about Future Pathways. From there, my Support Coordinator encouraged me to write. I didn’t think I was even capable of writing a book. But Future Pathways gave me the guidance and the support to start that journey.
The Book Whisperers helped you with the book. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
My Support Coordinator put me in touch with the Book Whisperers. My first meeting was with Mary Turner Thomson. She was amazing. She was so gentle with me, she listened to my story and she gave me confidence.
We would meet regularly, speak about all my stuff, and she was really supportive. I’m dyslexic but I’d write a page and send it to her. She would work with me and understand what I meant.
When I started, there were many times I wanted to stop. I thought it was rubbish and no one would be interested. But Mary told me to keep on writing. She said, ‘Even if you don’t end up printing the book, just write it down.’ The book ended up being a best seller.
What was it like for you to write your book?
Sometimes, I’d find it hard to keep writing. There were moments that were overwhelming. At other times, I’d start typing and the words would flow out of me.
I thought ‘You can confront and face things and heal. Or you can let it overwhelm you, fester and destroy you.’ I wasn’t going to let that happen. It was a chance to get all the thoughts out of my brain, into a book, and onto a shelf.
It was one of the most cathartic things I have ever done. I was able to face some things that I had been keeping private from everyone. Writing allowed me to process things from a distance, as if I was reading about someone else. It gave me a sense of control and an understanding of my life. I found it really healing.
Who did you write the book for?
All I wanted to do was to be honest about the thoughts in my head. I thought people would just judge me about my mental health and being broken.
For me, it was about going out of my comfort zone. I had hidden all the abuse for 50 years, and I felt that if I continued to keep it private, it would cost me my life. So, I did the opposite – I made it public.
It wasn’t about the book; it was about being brave enough to talk about the things that broke me. I wanted to tell people it is OK to feel broken, to talk about mental health, to talk about the secrets that you were told to keep quiet. It is OK to shine a light on the dark places that you haven’t spoken about before.
Your book also talks about your breakdancing and martial arts success – what was that like?
I started breakdancing when I was 11. I was always told I couldn’t do anything and would amount to nothing. But then breakdancing came along and I became obsessive. I trained every day to become the best. When I was dancing, people would come up to me afterwards and shake my hand. It gave me validation. I wasn’t worthless. And my team went on to become Scottish breakdancing champions – we were the best at what we did.
After that, I got into martial arts. I never wanted to be in a position again that anyone could hurt me or my family. I became obsessed with martial arts too and became a champion. Now, I’m at the highest level. I have taught all over the world. I have also been a life coach and a personal trainer, and I teach anti-bullying programmes too. It’s about empowering people.
I want to give people the confidence to be the best version of themselves. I know what it is like to prove people wrong. I have done it a thousand times. Now I can control my own destiny – I strive to be better than what I was told I was when I was a child.
How did you feel when you wrote the book?
It has been an emotional journey. Before I found Future Pathways, I used to wake up every morning and cry. This went on for years. And I also used to cry when I was with my Support Coordinator.
But then, once I started writing, I could have those conversations without breaking down. By writing it on a page and reading it over and over again, it somehow helps you process the trauma. It gives you distance and allows you to accept it a little bit more.
I could start talking to friends about what happened to me without crying. I cannot tell you how therapeutic it was.
What difference did writing the book make to you?
Now, I can look at my past and accept what happened to me. I have a much greater understanding of my life. And people have a better understanding of me. They have seen what I have had to overcome. I had a dark start, but I created a much brighter future.
And, it has made a difference to other people too. It has given people the courage to open up and speak about their own experiences. They have got mental health counselling or applied to the Redress Scheme. It hadn’t crossed my mind that my book could impact other people. You can say words and they mean nothing to you, but they can be profound to someone else.
What has kept you going?
When I first started this healing journey, I was so broken. I had always been told to keep my mouth shut and not talk about it. I used to think it was my shame. That’s why I didn’t talk. I felt shame, guilt, disgust and pain. But I realised none of it was mine. I had been taking ownership of things that didn’t belong to me. It was their guilt, their shame. It is not mine.
I wish I could go back and say to my earlier self ‘There is light at the end of the tunnel, I promise you. This moment that you’re going through, it won’t last forever. I know you can’t see any future but just keep putting one foot in front of the other.’
Healing isn’t easy but it is worthwhile. At one point, I could not see a future. I just wish I could go back and tell my six-year-old self that I had an amazing life ahead, and I just didn’t know it yet. I created an extraordinary life out of a horrible life. Just have faith. Just try to do something that improves yourself – it all builds up.
What’s next?
In my life, I have achieved everything I set out to. I proved everyone wrong. My teachers said I would never achieve anything. But guess who was right and guess who was wrong?
So, for the next years, I want peace and I want a quiet life. My book sits on my bedside table and will be there forever. The bad chapters are there too, but now I have a different perspective. Yes, that was my life, but I’m just glad that the things that were hidden are now out in the open.
FIND OUT MORE
The Unwanted Gift: journey from abused child to martial art master
Don’s book is available to buy online.
The Book Whisperers
The Book Whisperers are one of our Delivery Partners. They support people to write and publish books, including life stories, creating writing and poetry. You can find out more about their work in our Meet the Partner feature.
Redress Support Service
If you are applying to Scotland’s Redress Scheme, Redress Support Service can help you. They can support you to prepare for applying, during the application and after you have applied. You can contact them for help at any point in your journey.
Derek shares his experience of support and the difference it has made.
Earlier this year, Derek had to move house. Moving house can sometimes feel very difficult. Derek
thought that he might find it hard.
‘I didn’t want to leave my original address. But I had to. That was quite stressful.’
Derek felt that the move would affect his mental health. So, he asked his Support Coordinator for
help.
‘Asking for support can be the difficult part. But my Support Coordinator made it easy for me to reach out. The way they were made it easier for me to ask for help.’
His Support Coordinator arranged for a removal company to help Derek. They packed up his
belongings and moved them all to his new house.
‘I was going through a bad time. They made it an easy process. I would not have managed it myself. It would have been a lot of upheaval for me.’
Being able to trust the removal company was important too. Derek felt that they were reliable and professional.
‘I still get anxiety. It came up during the house move but I managed to control it because the removal guys were so good.’
Derek is settled in his new home. He also feels safer and more comfortable.
‘Everything from my old house is in my new house now. I’m more relaxed now. I’m in a lot better place mentally because of this. Support has made my life easier. My mindset is in a different place now. And I can concentrate on myself.’
Now, Derek is looking at how he can take care of his physical health.
‘I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes so now need to control my diet. I’ve got a recipe book for my diabetes. I’m a former chef so I know to replace processed food with vegetables and fruit. I’m doing a lot of walking – I do five miles in a day sometimes. Wee bits at a time so I can keep it comfortable.’
Derek is also looking at how he can support his mental health too.
‘Now I can concentrate on my own mental health. I will still need help and I’ve spoken to my Support Coordinator about this. So we can look at the next steps. I’m looking forward to that.’
He is making sure that he takes things at his own pace.
‘I am looking at getting my support plan in place to look at what happens next. I’ve got my plan on hold for a wee bit while I focus on things with my house and try to relax. My Support Coordinator said I have done a good job getting to where I am.’
In the meantime, Derek plans to do more of his artwork.
‘I’ve done more pictures at my art class, and I’ve got them at home with me. I’d like to hang them on the wall. I’ve got pictures of Blondie, Whitney and Elton John. I usually go to an art class every Monday. I am going to get my art equipment back in my house then I can do paintings for people.’
It can feel like a big decision to choose to get support. Here, Mary shares her experience of what it was like for her. And she tells us about why she wants others to get help too.
Hearing about Future Pathways
Mary first heard about Future Pathways from someone she knew who had also been in care. They told Mary that she should contact us for support. But Mary was not sure.
‘I kept putting it off. I thought other people needed Future Pathways more than I did. I wanted to make sure there was enough support for other people. I thought maybe the service wasn’t for me because I hadn’t been in care for as long as other people had. I felt guilty asking for help.’
After a while, Mary decided that she should access support too.
‘I’d been there. I’d been through cruelty for years. I didn’t like asking for help but sometimes you need it.’
Contacting Future Pathways
It took Mary years before she decided to phone us. Some days she would think about calling us then would choose not to. But she thought to herself:
‘Come on, the service is there for a reason. Phone them.’
When she first phoned Future Pathways, Mary felt nervous.
‘Then I told myself that there was nothing to worry about, that someone is helping me for a change. I thought about what had happened to me and why I was calling. And once I had got it in my mind that Future Pathways were there to help me, I could take that first step. After I phoned, I felt reassured.’
Getting support
Now, Mary works with her Support Coordinator to get the right support for herself.
‘I can talk about what happened to me and I can understand it. I can make some good out of this. My Support Coordinator helped me to understand what was going on. I feel entirely different now.’
Mary’s friends have seen a change in her too.
‘My friends have noticed that I seem different now too, that there has been a big change in my life. And getting support for myself means my family can have a break from worrying about me.’
Spreading the word
Mary encourages other people to get support too.
‘I knew other people in the same boat. I realised people were talking about care homes and their experiences and their feelings. And I told them that I had been in care too and been abused. I told them I have been through this too and that I understand.’
Mary would like people to take the first step and get the support that they need.
‘I try to get my friends to see that they can trust Future Pathways. I say ‘Get the help you can. You won’t know until you find out. There are genuine people ready to help you.’ I feel like I have done something for my friends now by telling them that they can get support too.’
Looking ahead
Mary thought about the difference that support has made to her life.
‘I had to do something to help myself. At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d done the right thing in trying to get support. But now, I find it easier to talk about things. I feel stronger. I feel like a different person knowing that help is there. I felt like a door had been unlocked. I have a clear mind now, a better future, enjoying the rest of my life and helping other people. I had a bad start in life but it has got a better end. I’ve got a completely new life.’
Contact us
Choosing to access support can feel like a big decision. People can feel nervous or worried. Sometimes, people are not sure if the service is right for them. If you have any questions about Future Pathways, or if you need help finding out if you can get support, contact us.
Phone us for free: 0808 164 2005 (lines open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm)
Email: registration@future-pathways.co.uk
Web: www.future-pathways.co.uk
Josie heard about Future Pathways through the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. When Josie registered with Future Pathways, she and her Support Coordinator took the time to get to know each other and build a relationship.
“I didn’t have to hide or hold anything back. They were so understanding. They understood exactly what I had been through. It was as if I had known them for years.”
Together, Josie and her Support Coordinator explored different types of support.
“They would keep in touch. They would offer support. Anything of interest to me, they helped in any way they could.”
Josie had been through many life challenges, and she knew that getting the right help was important for her. Future Pathways supported Josie to access counselling support.
“I looked forward to going to the counsellor every week. They helped me see that, to me, I was not worthless. I talked truthfully about everything for the first time.”
Being completely honest with the counsellor was transformational. Before accessing counselling, Josie had always bottled up her feelings. Counselling helped Josie consider how she thought about herself and to address how her feelings of shame had prevented her from accessing support or opening up to people. Counselling helped Josie see how important it was for her to be truthful with the people in her life.
“Before, I had to hold it in. I never spoke about my past to my kids. I was embarrassed. The stigma of being in care meant people thought you were trouble.”
Future Pathways also supported Josie to complete and publish her book, ‘Finally back to my routes’.
Josie had been writing for years. Through some of the most challenging experiences of her life, writing helped Josie to express herself. Josie never thought anything would come from her writing, but this changed when her daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. Before passing away, Josie’s daughter encouraged her to finish her book. Josie was determined to finish her book for her children.
Accessing her care records helped Josie stitch together the story of her past. Josie also learned that she had a sibling she had never met before, and she was able to meet her.
“All of the story was in my records. Everything came flooding out.”
Josie would write for hours. Future Pathways supported Josie to finish and publish her book with Book Whisperers, a service that provides writing support.
“I surprised myself. It was a brilliant experience. I could get rid of all my anxiety and stress. I would just focus on writing.”
Josie is now a published author. She celebrated by organising a book signing event with family and friends. Writing ‘Finally back to my routes,’ enabled Josie to be completely truthful about her past with her loved ones. Her friends and family now know her as someone who is always laughing and joking.
“That old life is gone now. I love my life now. I am in a happier place. I’m more ‘me’. And my kids are so proud of me.”
David first heard about Future Pathways from a friend. To begin with, David was not sure he wanted to access support because he did not want to bring anything up from his past, and he had been dealing with the impact of his past experiences without support for a long time. David sometimes felt that he did not deserve the support as much as other people. But Steven, his Support Coordinator, reassured him that Future Pathways was for him too.
When David started working with Future Pathways, Steven helped him access counselling. Even though David had friends he could speak to, he had never spoken about some of the abuse he had been through.
“Talking to the counsellor opened everything up. We spoke for ages. I talked about the abuse and how I was feeling for the first time.”
This helped David to talk about the abuse he went through to other people as well. This meant he could give his statement to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. And having a counsellor to talk to helped David through the process of applying to the Redress Scheme.
“Counselling didn’t make a deeper difference to how I feel inside, but now I can talk about it. I could give my statement to the Inquiry and talk about the abuse.”
David feels he has learned more about himself and how his past impacts him with Future Pathways’ support.
“The biggest difference is that I know more about myself now. I know more about how things affect me. The counsellor explained that I go into fight or flight mode, and this might be why I find some situations, like being in groups of people difficult. So, I have found different ways of coping, like going out on my bike with the dog.”
David loves to get out into the countryside with his dog, so Future Pathways supported David to purchase a mountain bike. This meant he could get out into the hills with his dog for hours at time. Future Pathways helped David continue to get out on the bike after he went through a difficult time. David became unwell and this affected his lungs. Then his bicycle was stolen in a burglary. Future Pathways supported David to buy an e-bike so that he could continue getting out with his dog.
“It has made the world of difference.”
Vicky first heard about Future Pathways from Wellbeing Scotland, where she has accessed support since 2016. Vicky has been working with a Support Coordinator called Elaine since the beginning of her journey with Future Pathways.
It took time to build up trust with Future Pathways because Vicky had many experiences of being let down by services in the past.
“It took about six months for me to start trusting that Future Pathways would do what they said they would do. I was used to feeling dismissed by services, but I started to see that things were actually happening. A social work assessment was put in place. I could see that it wasn’t just words.”
Since accessing support at Future Pathways, Vicky has faced many challenges in her life. She has had issues with damp in her home, and she has been seeking justice through the court system. This has been a long, difficult process. She has also faced many physical and mental health challenges.
These experiences took a toll on Vicky, and she felt she wasn’t accessing the support she needed from other services. Through it all, Vicky feels that Future Pathways and Wellbeing Scotland together have encouraged her to keep going.
“I really mean it. I wouldn’t be alive today without Future Pathways and Wellbeing Scotland. They [Future Pathways and Wellbeing Scotland] believed in me and that helped me believe in myself.”
With Elaine’s help, social work support was put in place for Vicky. This led to a positive change in Vicky’s housing situation. Future Pathways helped with purchasing furniture and other items so Vicky could settle into her new accommodation.
“Getting social work in place was so valuable to me. Before, I was trapped in a damp house, and I was made homeless. I had to live in my car during the Covid-19 pandemic to protect myself from further damage to my health that the mould was inflicting on me. And when I moved, I had nothing until Future Pathways helped.”
Even though Elaine was off when Vicky moved, Future Pathways acted quickly and made sure Vicky’s needs were met.
“My needs were treated like they were important.”
Previously, Vicky had tried to access social work support, but it had not worked out. Vicky believes that having Elaine there to advocate for her helped Vicky access the right support for her.
“I believe she advocated for me and that is what made the difference, having an organisation behind me. Before, I felt like services didn’t listen to me, but when Future Pathways got involved, there was a multi-agency meeting about my support.”
Vicky feels that accessing the right support for her has helped her improve both her physical and mental health, now having a care package in place.
“Previously I felt like I couldn’t get anywhere when I was struggling with my mental health. I couldn’t get the support I needed from crisis services. I was triggered by a lot of things, and I felt I deserved the hard things that were happening. But now, I am definitely in a better place.”
Vicky also accessed one-to-one drama tuition to help build confidence and self-esteem. This has helped Vicky to recognise her strengths, grow in confidence, and tap into the support around her when she needs.
“Now I challenge things myself more. For example, if I have housing issues, I stand up for myself, knowing I have back up from Future Pathways and Wellbeing Scotland. I used to let things get to breaking point. Now I ask for support when I need it because I have built up a lot of trust and support around me.”
The support has made a big difference to Vicky’s mental health and hope for the future.
“I have gone from feeling worthless all my life and feeling suicidal every other week to now having the proper support of Future Pathways and Wellbeing Scotland. I now have more positivity.”
Vicky feels strongly that anyone who experienced in-care abuse in Scotland should be able to access the support that she has had. To share more about how support has made a difference to her, Vicky helped create a video called “Finding Vicky” all about her experiences.
“Because of support, I have been able to survive. Not only have I survived, having the counselling support from Wellbeing Scotland and support from Future Pathways, and with the organisations and the people delivering these services believing in me, it has given me the strength and feeling of worth that has helped me deal with the biggest battle of my life, fighting cancer. I know I would not have done this if I still had those feelings of worthlessness. I want others to access that support too.”
Daniel shares how exercise improved his physical and mental health, and helped him on his recovery journey.
I had a serious accident over 10 years ago and was paralysed down my right side. I was determined to get back functioning and active again. I went to physiotherapy. They used to come and get me to go to my appointments. I was ashamed of people seeing me the way I was. People made fun of me.
Eventually, I started doing exercises in the house after going to physio. I kept on doing my exercises every day. Butterflies and half butterflies. Shadow boxing. Knee bends. Building up all of them to twenty repetitions each, twice a day. This helped with my counting as well.
I started feeling a bit of a difference, could see I was getting stronger.
My partner bought me two TENS whole body vibration machines. Big things they were and she carried them all the way up the street on her own! What a change in me after I’d been using them for a while. The vibrations helped with my balance – and with my anxiety. There’s different things that’ve helped me along the way.
During this time I was also in recovery from addiction and dealing with lots of personal issues but I kept exercising all the way through it. Over time, I was able to use a mobility scooter to get back out and about. Then I got a dog and that kept me going too.
Eventually, after Covid, and when I started with Future Pathways, I also started going to the local Recovery Cafe. We were all talking about the nervous system and how exercise is good for improving it. From there I thought I would give swimming a try. Swimming started it all.
Some friends started encouraging me to do a round of golf – I’m now able to hit every single ball when at first the club used to go flying and my pals had to go and get it back for me! There’s been people encouraging me and I really appreciate that when I look back.
I try to encourage other people in recovery to go swimming and to take up golf and other exercise because of how it’s helped me.
I enjoyed doing all of these things but I also wanted to be able to do something on my own. I wanted to go out when I felt like it to exercise and not be dependent on recovery groups, or other groups or other people; just to have the freedom to exercise like everybody else. I’d starting thinking about cycling when I got my mobility scooter. Once I felt stronger, I bought a bike but I kept falling off because of my balance. I tried to get stabilisers put on my bike too. I wanted freedom and fresh air.
I talked to my worker at Future Pathways about options for cycling and we thought about a trike/recumbent bike. We went through to Edinburgh to try some out. The boy in the shop ran along the street beside me when I had a go. I thought to myself, this is it, this is what I want, this is what I’d like to do.
It made me feel good, gave me a sense of freedom and enjoyment.
After that we had to do the funding application. I was dead worried I wouldn’t get it – I just felt like things like this doesn’t happen to people like us, people down in the dumps all the time and thinking about the worst things happening; not thinking anything good can happen in your life.
Then, when I realised I was getting it, I didn’t know if I was excited or worried! I was thinking about the security. What if I leave it somewhere? But I realise now I can take the battery out it. The computer out of it. And the shop guy gave me a good security lock for free too.
The day I got the bike, I cycled back to the train station on it and my worker walked alongside me. I was a bit anxious getting it on to the train. I couldn’t believe it. I really couldn’t believe it. Things like that don’t happen to people like us. Anything good, people usually take it away from you.
On my street on that day, people from my local town were giving me encouragement, smiling and laughing with me. That was different – laughing with me and not at me. People were happy for me.
People have told me I’m a miracle. I’ve walked from Bathgate to Whitburn – that’s because of building up my strength on the bike. I want to keep building up my walking too.
The bike has been a godsend. I’ve done over 200 miles on it now. I’ve been to Bathgate and back. Whitburn, Blackburn, Bathgate, Armadale and back to Whitburn. I’ve also been to Harthill from Whitburn, up to Fauldhouse, Longridge and back to Whitburn. When I’m out I see people smile and cars going by give me a wee toot.
Physically, it’s amazing. When you’re sitting on it, it feels so much easier because of your balance being sorted by sitting down. You’re not on a two wheeler. It’s not just made a difference, it’s made a life changing difference. My physicality is developing, my confidence has grown and I’m hoping it will grow more.
I find it hard to talk to people. I’m practicing this and sometimes the bike helps with having something to talk about when I’m out.
I think it helps with different things. I’m getting buses myself – I wasn’t able to do that alone before. I went to see Rangers again. I think that was partly because of the bike too. The bike helps my mobility and feeling more confident in my mobility and physicality. And fresh air – it’s a better tablet than anything off the doctor. You’ll never get a better tablet than that.
It’s given me ideas for doing more. I’d like to do a Glasgow or Edinburgh cycle to raise money for a parachute jump. It’s got me thinking of what else I can do. I want to get other people into recovery. It’s gave me ideas of what else might be possible. Maybe even volunteering one day.
I’m looking for contentment and to be stress free. I’ve been in trouble all my life. The bike puts a smile on everybody’s face – that makes me feel a bit happier as well.
Kirsty is really interested in trying different things that can benefit health and wellbeing. Here, she shares some examples of the things she has tried during her recovery journey.
Coming from a traumatic childhood, I did what most people done and learned to live with it, not fix it. Over the years, you don’t even recognise the triggers of trauma – you think the responses to triggers are yours.
My adult life seen me in many situations that seemed bad pot luck, until I couldn’t cope anymore. I turned to private counselling, and in doing so, was introduced to Future Pathways to fund it. I remained in counselling for 4 years, which worked to let me dig deeper within myself, by talking therapy, but didn’t actually allow me to heal in any real way.
During this process, always being a bit of a hippy, I started meditation, something I found extremely difficult as my panic attacks resulted in me being unable to focus on my breathing to get into a meditative state. It would send me into a panic.
I persevered and eventually was able to use meditation as a way to calm my mind.
This lead to using binaural beats and hemi sync meditations. These methods sync both hemispheres of the brain and take you to deeper levels of meditation. This led me into digging further into the science behind frequencies and vibrations. I like to understand the science behind why these methods were working.
And, seeing fast results, these methods allowed me to meditate and open myself up to the traumas in a calm, non-invasive way. Almost not even knowing that this is what I was doing. I was able to pick away at traumas without even really feeling them. Able to look at them without emotional attachment. Healing myself bit by bit without having to face the enormity of it.
I began to really get to know who I was behind all my usual barriers.
And if I can give something back, this is what I want to give back – a way for people to heal without have to return time and time again to professionals. For people to know that they can do this themselves, and give people the experience of this and the tools to walk away after a couple of sessions equipped with the knowledge of how to self-heal.
I feel that until you face your trauma and your triggers of trauma, that you cannot truly heal. The best and safest way to do this is through meditation, using sound frequencies and vibrations. It helps the mind focus , stay calm and heal, healing DNA, rewiring the brain, just for starters.
My plan is to start my own business using instruments that create sound waves and vibrations that resonate with the mind and body.
I want to take people through meditations safely, showing them every step of the way how and why to do this. Ensuring that they don’t need more than a couple of treatments maximum so they can take it away, practice it and find what works best for them and show others how to heal themselves.
My Support Coordinator has been an absolute god send, always there, always cheerleading my corner, and always highlighting my abilities. I cannot thank her enough for the encouragement this woman has shown me.
Alongside my Support Coordinator, I was given Graham from Gro-Wiser. He is a financial coach and has been a god send. Not just immense help with finances but also encouraging and cheerleading my ambitions.
Future Pathways has been more than I could have ever imagined they would be.
They have helped with so much, from funding lots of classes that will help me to fulfil my ambition, to being my biggest supporters. And I appreciate every minute I have had with them.
One day you will get there, and it will be yourself who gets you there. I encourage anyone experiencing difficulties coping in life to try and meditate. Even baby steps are still steps. I can guarantee you will find your peace. You will learn to love yourself and not care what the rest of the world thinks of you, because only your opinion will matter.
You live in your shoes so give yourself a better fitting shoe. You deserve it.
John heard about Future Pathways through a community service that his GP referred him to. John had experienced ebbs and flows in his circumstances, career, and health throughout his life. He had previously accessed other services, but he did not feel they were able to make a real difference in his life.
It took time for John to feel ready to seek support, and he had to wait many months for support to start. Although John understood why the waiting list was necessary, it was difficult to be “on hold.”
Since starting to access support from his Support Coordinator, Future Pathways has felt different to the other services John has accessed in the past.
“They were able to do what they said they would do. Future Pathways has the resources, time, and relationships with other services to actually make a tangible difference.”
For example, when John spoke with his Support Coordinator about his difficulty with sleeping, his Support Coordinator helped him explore why this was and supported him to purchase a new bed.
“It might seem small, but Future Pathways let me choose and order it. At first, I selected the cheapest option possible. But my Support Coordinator explained that we could get something better, something that would meet my needs. I feel the difference every time I go to bed.”
When John was struggling to pay energy bills, Future Pathways linked him up with a charity which helped him apply for a grant to alleviate this pressure.
“It was huge. Future Pathways have been able to help with things I never thought they could help with. A lot of other services I have worked with could only listen. Nobody was able to do something. Future Pathways really did make a tangible difference in my life.”
Future Pathways also enabled John to access ongoing support with his mental health. Now, John can speak to someone regularly about how he is coping and explore how he can take care of his mental health. Accessing mental health support has made a long–term difference to John’s life.
“Before I accessed this support, I didn’t know why I couldn’t function. They helped me figure it out for myself. And I am still figuring it out. But now, I am on that journey.”
Now, John feels he understands himself and his mental health better, and he has access to the support he needs to move forward in his life. John is more linked up with his GP and is starting to engage with the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. Accessing support through Future Pathways has helped John to learn more about himself, prioritise his mental health and make positive changes to his life.
“It really was lifechanging. It is night and day compared with what my life was like. Now, I have someone on my side. Future Pathways helped me turn my life around. I started caring about myself, because someone else was caring about me.”
When Anne registered with Future Pathways, she felt like she had been on a rollercoaster for years. After leaving care, Anne experienced homelessness and felt she lacked the skills she needed. Anne worked for her local authority which would trigger flashbacks. Anne had also tried to access her care records, which was a painful experience. These experiences negatively affected Anne’s mental health.
Anne heard about Future Pathways through the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. Since then, Anne has worked with her Support Coordinators to access the right support for her.
“I have had two amazing Support Coordinators who went all out in helping me. Future Pathways helped me in many ways. I believe they saved my life in many ways.”
Future Pathways supported Anne with some practical needs. For example, Anne accessed the Discretionary Fund to purchase a laptop. Anne was nervous about using the laptop since she has dyslexia. But having a laptop helped Anne build up her confidence and digital skills.
Future Pathways also helped Anne access mental health support. When she started working with Future Pathways, Anne was going through a very difficult time. Anne accessed counselling through one of Future Pathways’ Delivery Partners.
“I needed the space to express how I was feeling about things. I believe the counselling I received through Future Pathways helped me survive a very difficult time. The counsellor was there for me at just the right time.”
Taking the time to tell her story in counselling helped Anne in her recovery. Having support from her Support Coordinator during the Inquiry also helped her manage.
“Anytime I phoned, they have been there for me. My Support Coordinator was amazing. She took me through everything, gave me good advice.”
With Future Pathways’ support, Anne was able to address her home environment. At the time, Anne was dealing with harassment from neighbours, and she did not feel safe where she lived. Because of these challenges, Anne felt isolated. Future Pathways purchased a membership at a cinema, to help Anne enjoy time away from the house.
“The cinema membership encouraged me to leave the flat and venture into town. When the cinema was quiet, I felt safe, like I didn’t need to scan the place. Then, I started going to other places in the city like the Gallery of Modern Art.”
With Future Pathways’ support, Anne was able to move to a new area, close to her family. Future Pathways also helped Anne buy household items to settle into her new home.
“I thought things could never be resolved before I moved. But I couldn’t have asked for better housing. Here, I have my own front door. I don’t have any stress about opening my door anymore.”
Now, Anne wants to make difference to others through the Voices for a Better Future group. Being a member of Voices for a Better Future has given Anne insight that not everyone has positive experiences with Future Pathways. Anne feels there might be some things Future Pathways could do to improve. For example, following up with people after about their experiences working with our Delivery Partners, and reducing the need to work with different Support Coordinators.
“It’s difficult because everyone is different. Maybe Future Pathways could look into what is working for people and what isn’t.”
Overall, Anne feels working with Future Pathways made a positive difference in her life.