Halifax Opportunities Trust exists to serve the local community in Calderdale, so it is vital that we get feedback from the people that we work alongside to ensure we are useful and supportive. Recently our Community Advancement Co-ordinator Lal Duncan received some wonderful feedback from a local mum at Jubilee Children’s Centre. The mum is a single parent and an asylum seeker. She enrolled her daughter at Jubilee Children’s Centre nursery and joined the weekly friends group after finding herself without a support network in the UK.
The group enabled her to find friendship and support after having a turbulent and traumatic life. From joining the group she went on to complete Peer Support training with HOT staff member Rebecca Harrison and Locala’s Bridget Hill. She completed training in July and now volunteers to support others in a similar situation to herself at St Augustine’s Centre.
Lal spoke to her last week to congratulate her on her success as a Peer Supporter, she responded by explaining what the service at Jubilee has meant for her: “Because of where I was before I met Gaye. I came to Jubilee and Gaye could see I needed help. She got a place for my daughter in the nursery and I got a support worker. I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t come to Jubilee that day”.
Our services are in place to support people to do the best they can with their lives and situations. Through training, support and hard work, this local mum has been able to start thinking about how she can ‘give back’. She is now determined to achieve more and is now in the process of setting up a hub of services for women with the help of Healthy Minds.