Our Stories is a page dedicated to highlighting the progress our members have taken while being at Hope Street. Reading the stories from real people in their perspective can help shed a light on what you can expect, or calm any worries you have. Knowing you are not alone can take a weight off your shoulders.

Emily Swift

I am a female aged 37, I started Hope Street 12/11/20. I saw a lockdown post on Instagram and I felt this post was meant for me. I did attend a few sessions in 2019, but the timing was not right for me to commit.

I attended Hope Street to get me out of the house and get support from people that understood me.

I was so nervous and scared of attending, but was welcomed with kindness.

I feel less anxious to know I could speak honestly and not be judged. I spoke to three other members who made me feel like I had always been there.

Regular attendance and agreeing to camping / other sessions is massive for me. I still need an aid sometimes when I go out shopping.

I can see a future now, it has taken me 3 years to see it. I am currently in college and hoping to start university. I could see myself helping others in my future career!

Tim Short

I am a male, 43, and began attending Hope St a year ago (2020). I bumped into Sheila at a stall at a Christmas market. I came to be part of some to develop myself. I attended as I wanted to be part of something that provided holistic support for others and I. I felt as if I was going to learn techniques such as NLP and journaling.

The group were very welcoming and non-judgmental.  I chatted with other members and made good support contacts. The sessions are forward but also flexible enough to allow discussion and for people to ask/answer questions. I have developed journaling techniques and other neuro-linguistic strategies to help me cope with daily life above the clunky nature of medication and the vagueness of anything offered by mental health provisions.

I have become more resilient and independent in my day-to-day living. I have even led some sessions and talked about some of my issues. I did not think that I was capable of such things.

Hope St is a community and during lockdown they have been my rock and constant. I have changed my thoughts and actions. I am exercising more regularly to elevate my self-esteem. I am also actively challenging my diet, and am seeing professional advice on this.

I am feeling better about my future; I feel that I am better now than a month ago, and that I will be better in a months’ time too. I have not felt like that for a number of years. I have less negative thoughts and am less agitated. I also feel more level headed and less prone to anger, upset, and frustration.

I feel positive about my future and more able to speak openly about my issues and feelings. The fact that others at Hope Street can relate to me is invaluable and pushes me at the center of a network that is bigger than the sum of its parts in terms of outcomes and progress.

Hope St is a part of my identity and I feel that being involved in it is a very big part of my learning. I want to get more involved with helping others, and to help Hope St to be a part of others’ lives.

I feel my relationships at home are better and I am more patient. I feel more positive about my job as a teacher. For the first time in a while, I feel like I have a future in teaching. I want to teach and I want to be part of Hope Street in the future. I am proud to be a part of such a positive charity, learning environment, and family.   

Anonymous

I am a female aged 53 and began attending Hope Street in 2020 after hearing about them on Facebook. I was feeling lonely and afraid and felt I couldn’t tell anybody. Prior to my first session, I was anxious about being judged and walking through the Hope Street door. I found the courage to attend, as a Hope Street member sent me a very kind and encouraging message which made me feel safe.

Sheila welcomed me at the door with a huge smile and very warm, kind words. I began to feel less anxious and knew I would be able to make it through to the end of the session. I didn’t really chat to the other members as I felt quite shy and worried still. I haven’t made any firm friends yet but am definitely more relaxed in my conversation and approaching others. I am enjoying feeling included in the sessions having a focus in my week that I actually look forward to.

I found the emotional intelligence workshop particularly interesting and it gave me food for thought throughout my week.

I know I am on a journey of recovery and it may be a long road but now I know I’m not travelling alone which is very comforting.

I have found that I can share my fragility and gain enormous strength from it. I feel I have a place in my community now and have a sense of belonging, finally.

I feel more complacent about who I am and am slowly learning to not feel so disappointed in myself. I am still quite shy about sharing and speaking in front of groups but it’s getting a little easier each week. I still feel afraid of the future but now I’m going to have one.

Hope Street has helped me feel worthwhile and important. I am proud I found the courage to attend.

Thank you Hope Street.