I was taken into care aged 12 due to family relationship issues and was moved around from Children's home to Children's home, plus two foster placements. I struggled to live any sort of happy or meaningful life, often feeling lost and very angry, never really understanding what had happened, constantly asking myself what I had done wrong. I got pregnant at 15 whilst on the annual Children's Home holiday in Wales. I had to fight to keep my baby and fight even harder not to be placed in a mother and baby unit with nuns. A month after giving birth I was given a two-bedroom council house and had to fend for myself.
I went through a lot to keep my son, and by the age of 21 I was running my own business and had bought a house on a mortgage. Five years later I got married, but the relationship became increasingly abusive as my husband developed serious gambling and alcohol issues. I ended up running away in the middle of the night with just my son and a suitcase and was eventually rehoused in Worcestershire.
I have been on a steep learning curve over the last ten years. I had worked as a nursing assistant, but was diagnosed with COPD in 2014. I have been in receipt of PIP since 2016 and have learned to manage my illness as much as I can. I was not in school enough to gain any qualifications when I was a child, but starting in 2016 I managed to get through the Open University Access course and after seven years of part-time study I achieved a first-class BSc. Psychology degree in 2023.
I became involved with the People with Lived Experience group (IMPACT) at Worcester University during this time and made the decision to apply for my care records. They only took six weeks to arrive, but I was shocked, firstly by the six-inch high pile of paper, and then even more shocked by the use of language within them: I was described as manipulative, difficult and uncommunicative and that I had been 'born of sin' - see BJSW article https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370806875.
These experiences, coupled with my psychology studies, have fuelled my desire to become a social worker, and now that I have overcome my first big academic challenge I am ready to take on the MA. I want to make a difference in the world by empowering those who need help and advocating for those who can't always speak up for themselves.
I have been lucky enough to be awarded an NHS Bursary for my MA course, but it only covers part of the tuition fees and I am not eligible for any other grants (I've looked everywhere!). I don't have £40 let alone £4000 and have been struggling to survive on benefits since 2014. Please help me with my tuition fees and to escape from the benefits system!