We would like to share an incredibly uplifting story of the journey of one of our participants today…

We hear all the time that everyone is different, and everyone’s circumstances vary hugely, however, perhaps due to time or funding, it is not always possible to commit to a personalised service.

And that is why we are so proud at Building Bridges to be able to work one-on-one with our participants, every member of the team working so hard to tailor their support to the them:

“Paul self-referred himself onto the BB programme after finding himself unemployed and looking for employment. Paul described his experience of accessing the programme as relatively straightforward and quick; he initially received a telephone call from Community First who provided him with more information about how the programme would be of benefit to him and the type of support he would be able to receive.

Paul was initially allocated a Development Worker to meet with, based on his needs and geographical location. Paul felt his allocated Development Worker was a good match for him and he quickly built up a positive working relationship with her. Paul reflects on when he started the BB programme and how he felt about himself and his future: “I suffered with anxiety and depression; my confidence was really low, and I found I was struggling with social interaction with others.”

Paul`s Development Worker recommended he completed a Positive Well-being course with Meg Batch to try and help him find strategies for managing his anxiety and depression and improve his confidence. Paul was willing to give this a go and says, “I’m glad I did, as this was a real turning point for me.” The course enabled Paul to feel more confident and he went on to complete other courses to help him learn strategies for managing his anxieties.

“I later attended a Mindfulness course with the Family Community Learning Team; it really helped me move forwards and take control of my feelings but also understand and recognise what I want and what I don’t want. I was able to speak up for myself and do things for myself; on my own. My relationships with my wider family changed for the better as a result.”

Paul achieved his Maths at functional level 2 following on from this and was awarded ‘Learner of the Month’. Paul started to work with the Transition into Employment Team because he felt he was ready to start looking for employment again. As a result, Paul committed to an unpaid work placement in a local shop in a town in Wiltshire; this enabled him to develop his skills in customer service, experience working in retail and continue to build his own confidence and well-being. Paul really enjoyed this and was able to reflect on what he had achieved which helped him focus his search for employment on retail, in smaller businesses.”

Congratulations to Paul and his Development Worker. The team is still working throughout lockdown to support those furthest away from employment.

If you know anyone who you feel could benefit from the programme, please visit our main website for more details and eligibility criteria Building Bridges

#goodnewsstory #casestudy #inspiration #support #individual #employment #OneonOne