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Before coming to YMCA Cheshire, Sam’s life was defined by instability. “My life before the YMCA was pretty dificult,” she recalls. “I was between pillar and post, mostly between my parents, really.”
Sam first came to YMCA Cheshire in 2016 but admits she wasn’t ready to fully engage with the support available. Like many others, she initially saw the YMCA as simply somewhere to stay, not fully understanding the depth of support and opportunities available to help her rebuild her life. This perception made it harder for her to fully trust the environment or take up the opportunities on offer.
It wasn’t until she returned in 2020, facing a new and more challenging chapter in her life, that her perspective began to shift, and things started to change. “I was here in 2020 and I was pregnant with my first,” Sam explains. “I was struggling to basically get a place because I was pregnant. I had quite a lot of support from the staff that were here.”
During this crucial period, Sam made a conscious decision to turn her life around.
“My second time, I think I focused a lot more on improving my mental health and just overall becoming a better person,” she says.
At YMCA Cheshire, she was able to access one-to-one support from Housing Coaches, helping her focus on her mental health and personal development.
Alongside this, the organisation offers a range of wellbeing services for residents and the wider community, including The Listening Service at the Sherborne Hub, a safe and confidential space designed to support mental health, reduce stress and build resilience, as well as accredited Mental Health First Aid training to equip individuals with the skills and confidence to support themselves and others.
Sam also began to engage more with everyday life at the YMCA, taking part in walks, cooking sessions and even a memorable trip to Big Ben. These types of trips are funded through a mix of public/private donations, community fundraising events, and targeted grants. Revenue can also come from sponsored challenges, local business raffles, as well as grants designed to support wellbeing and social inclusion for service users.
With the dedicated support of staff, Sam transitioned into a move-on property. “I went there and I had some support from the staff, and then I got my own place,” she says. “I got myself back into work because I was on sick leave at the time.”
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"I work at YMCA Cheshire Now."
Today, Sam’s journey has come full circle in the most remarkable way. The young woman who once relied on YMCA Cheshire for a safe place to sleep is now the one welcoming others through its doors.
“I work at YMCA Cheshire now,” Sam says with pride. “My official title is Customer Service Officer, but ‘simple receptionist’ is what I refer to it as. I do quite enjoy it.”
Reflecting on her journey, Sam is struck by her own resilience. “I think I’m proud of how much I’ve changed. During my time when I was in the YMCA, I was in quite a bad mental state. And since then, I’ve improved quite a lot.”
Now a mother of three, Sam is looking toward a bright future. She hopes to eventually move into a larger home for her children and is considering a career in housing and coaching, inspired by the support she received.
For young people currently facing the struggles she once did, Sam offers hard-earned wisdom:
“Accept help when it’s there. I feel like I didn’t take things seriously back then. I could have improved myself a lot earlier. Accept help when it’s there.”
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