Shawn* joined the BBO Bridges Project with BCHFT in August 2021, hoping to boost his confidence. He was struggling with anxiety and his mental health issues caused him considerable concern and stress. Despite that, he wanted to enrol onto training courses, build his CV and confidence in job searching.
Shawn was engaging at first, but gradually disengaged and then stopped responding to our Vocational Specialist. At one point, we contacted Shawn to confirm if he was to exit from the project but reminded him about the support we could offer. Shawn admitted that he was thinking about exiting the project and giving up. However, after that call from us, he changed his mind and wanted to continue his journey with us and requested a meeting for support instead of exit.
From then on, we could feel that Shawn was more determined than before. With our support, he has completed his Food Safety Training and CV. To get himself familiar with working in the Catering industry, he took on a weekly volunteer placement at a food bank. He has built his confidence and began to search for jobs online. He felt ready to even approach employers with his CV.
Shawn is in a much better place now than he was in August 2021. His relationship with his friends and family has improved. He feels much more positive about life. He has developed the confidence to do tasks independently which he was unable to last year. Shawn hopes to secure a job with the support from the Bridges team and he is very grateful for the support given to him. He is very proud of his achievements, and so do we!
Bridges is funded by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund. For more information about the project, please visit stepstowork.co.uk/walsall-bridges/ or contact us on 01922 627555.
*The name of the participant has been changed due to confidentiality.
