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
