Here at Pluss, we know that life can sometimes present us with knock-backs that stop us in our tracks and make us feel like everything is becoming difficult to deal with.

So when we receive feedback from participants who’ve joined us on the Positive People, Health Works for Cornwall or Hopeful Families programmes, it’s always really uplifting to hear how they’ve overcome some of those challenges.

It’s not always the big things that create the barriers, often it’s a series of much smaller problems which need addressing.

We love sharing your ‘good news stories’ and one of the most recurring themes that seem to crop up, when we speak to people about their time with us, is the way they connect with their Change Coaches and Family Mentors.

A Change Coach/Family Mentor works with each participant to support them and help with some of the tools required  (both emotional and physical) to address the challenges and take a step closer to returning to an even keel. They walk the journey together.

Amazing support

Recently we heard from Bernie, who has been supported on the Hopeful Families programme by her Family Mentor, Jill.

“Jill has been amazing support, she’s encouraged me through every challenge I’ve faced, always looking for positives in hard situations,” Jill told us. “She listened to me and respected my wishes and always asked if there’s anything I need help with.

“Even if this is part of her job, I know she genuinely cares!”

Bernie was facing numerous challenges when she turned to Hopeful Families for support: “…..covid, juggling being a single mum, a child with Special Educational Needs (SEN), an eight-year-old with problems with his ears, and a three-year-old who had broken his femur and had been unable to walk for 10 weeks,” she says.

“I also lost my dad suddenly in February which had a big impact on my mental health and my ability to focus on anything other than the day to day care of my children and myself.

“I thought I was doing ok, but I’ve now accepted that I’m not coping great and needed support.”

Hopeful Families supported Bernie to attend a Level 3, Working in Schools course. “I have always worked in admin roles but having young children, and wanting to work around them and school holidays, I feel working in a school would benefit our family,” she says.

“Although I haven’t yet started my course, I have always felt supported by Hopeful Families. I feel like I could phone Jill if I needed anything and she would be there.”

Bernie is now working on getting herself back into a routine and back to day-to-day life. She is focussed on what her future goals should be: “I need to help myself to grieve properly and start ‘getting on with things’ better,” she says. “I plan to set up my own small craft hobby which, hopefully, will provide a small income. Longer term, I want to be a teaching assistant.”

We wish Bernie the best of luck in the future and admire her newfound positivity.

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If you live in the Calderdale, Kirklees or Wakefield areas and are interested in finding out how the Hopeful Families programme can help you, call us on 07341 004 949 for a friendly, confidential chat, or email hopefulfamilies@pluss.org.uk.

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