Whilst I was at university reading civil engineering, I experienced depression and anxiety. The severity of my health caused me to have a breakdown, and consequently I dropped out of university in my final year. I started to explore different volunteering opportunities and became aware of the Freedom Project. In my initial conversation with one of the staff members, I felt this was the perfect place to assist me with my mental health recovery. This was the first time I felt comfortable admitting I need some support.

The Freedom Project has been able to offer a core sense of acceptance and community whilst I’ve worked on the facilities management team. I have been able to appreciate that all the Freedom participants have different circumstances and this has made me feel comfortable with who I am and help me grow in confidence. The Freedom staff members have treated me with kindness and respect and I have felt valued again.

The project has given me a massive self-confidence boost. I believe in humanity and in the good of others. In my hard times, it felt difficult to trust others. However, I’ve had a complete positive outlook on life. I have built the courage to tackle my problems rather than hide. With the right level of support from the project, I have been able to positively progress. I am currently working full time for a fashion clothes company and partaking in an IT placement.

I am focusing on learning how to cope with my mental health and to look after myself better. It is my dream to settle down and work in China in the future. I believe most things are possible, just need to take little steps to get to the bigger goal.