Success Stories
Andy
I left Tintesfield School [a school in Rugby for people with Learning Difficulties] in 1985. After that my Mum, Dad and I went to a meeting at The Sands - part of Mayday Trust - and 6 months later I moved in. I lived at The Sands for ten years. I liked it a lot. I went to college and did a course on bricklaying for two days a week. The staff showed me the way so I could cycle to college and back. I like trying new things out.
I moved to one of Mayday's move-on houses in 1997 with two of my friends. When I lived there I learnt how to cook. With the help of staff I cooked meals in the slow cooker. My favourite mea is casserole, sausage, beef or chicken. I make enough for two days. In 2000 I moved into semi-independent flat and three years later I was given my own tenancy with Rugby Borough Council. I love living independently. I spring clean every weekend as I don't like my visitors walking into a messy flat.
I do work experience with an electrician. My other hobbies are ten-pin bowling, mountain biking and tennis. I also have a weight bench to do my weights. I also like going to the snooker club with my friends from Mayday Trust.
Mayday staff taught me to do my own budgeting. I work out my bills on a notepad every two weeks and if I want to treat myself I save up. I've just bought a DVD player. Mayday also taught me how to do gardening at The Sands. Even though I don't have a garden as I live in a flat, I may have a garden one day and then I could use my skills that I have learnt.
I wouldn't be where I am now without Mayday or the staff. I never thought I would have my own tenancy and live independently. I was the very first person from the Scheme to live semi-independently and for that I feel very proud. I am really grateful as I don't know where I'd be without Mayday Trust. Without going to The Sands I wouldn't be half as good as I am now. I would recommend Mayday to anyone as it's a good experience, you learn about yourself and you have a goal to be independent. If you don't want that goal it's not worth it as sometimes you have to work really hard. It takes time to get to where you want to be but if you try the staff will help you get there.
I'm really happy with where I am now. If I wasn't happy I would still go and see staff because I know they'd still help me out even though I am no longer a proper resident.
Sharon
Hello! My name is Sharon and I am 34 years old, I have been living with Mayday for almost two years. I would like to take you all on a journey of my story.
I have had many health problems over the years due to my astounding weight. In June 2002 I weighed 27,10 stone, nearly 28 stone! I got out of breath easily and I struggled to get about, I also had sleep apnoea, which is where you stop breathing in your sleep, enough was enough.
I went to meet up with a Bariatric Surgeon I was very poorly. I had a Biliopancreatic diversion (stomach removal) and bowel bypass. Healthy eating, moderate exercise and support from Mayday I am now 15.5 stone!
I would like to get to 14 stone and have my complete health back I have a lot of support from my gorgeous boyfriend and I go to my weekly slimming meeting.
The past 18 months have been tough with a lot of upset as my Mum, Pat, passed away at only 61 years old. She was very beautiful and popular, losing her was hard, it has made me stronger but I still have a fairway to go.
I’d just like to say Thank you to Mayday Leamington for your support, and although I’ll be moving on soon I will still keep in touch.
Stephen
I was a builder and window fitter until, a combination of business problems and stress lead to a breakdown in the early nineties. There was no history of mental health problems in my family and no indication of what was to come.
I felt like, no matter how hard I tried, everything was caving in around me. I suffered a schizophrenic breakdown, was sectioned and hospitalised for six months. Whilst in hospital I started saving some of my £13 per week allowance. On the day I left hospital I had £25 to my name and little else. I was met by an understanding Social Worker who helped me fetch my things and took me to a homeless shelter run by Mayday Trust.
Mayday gave me a room and everything I needed to take care of myself. The staff were very friendly and they didn’t push me. They let me find my feet in my own time. I joined several groups including the art group and the gardening group. I started an allotment with another resident called Brian. Mayday helped me sort out my budgeting and I continued to put some of my benefit away each week. I re-learnt how to cook and started to take care of myself again. After about a year I found a voluntary work placement. It was really difficult to go from doing nothing to working again. I nearly didn’t go at all but the staff supported and encouraged me. I drove the Social Services minibus for a couple of nights a week, over ten years, as a way of repaying them for the time I had spent in hospital.
I lived at Mayday for 20 months until, Brian, another friend called Alex and I picked up an application form for the local Housing Association. Within three months all three of us had left Mayday and moved into our own flats. I kept in touch with Mayday after I left. I used to visit the staff and started doing a few odd jobs for them. In October 1997 I heard about a Sessional Worker job and decided to apply. They were looking for someone with patience and understanding and I felt that my experiences would stand me in good stead.
When I was in hospital I was told I would never work again. I wasn’t trying to prove anyone wrong but it wasn’t the future I wanted for myself. On 1st December 1997 I started working for Mayday. I loved the job straight away and was able to help other people with similar experiences. After a couple of years – using the money I had been putting aside – I put a deposit down on a house. In 1992 I lost everything but thanks to Mayday I finally had a house again.
Mayday opened the door for me and helped me to get my life back. I will have worked here for ten years in December and I want to thank the Trust for believing in me. They gave me a chance despite my background and I wouldn’t be where I am now without them.
Ron John
I was living in a council flat, in a really noisy part of town. I couldn’t sleep because of the noise and ended up drinking to put myself to sleep. The drinking got worse and led to a stroke.
When I came out of hospital I moved to Mayday. The staff supported me and gave me time to get well again. My Key-worker suggested I got involved in scheme activities and I ended up joining the cookery and gardening groups. They also helped me to cut down my drinking and introduced me to an alcohol support group.
I still have medical problems but I’m taking much better care of myself. I’m eating healthily and am slowly getting fitter.
If I’d stayed where I was I would probably have drunk myself to death by now. Thanks to staff I am much healthier, I have my confidence back and am happy.
Jolene
I have been at Mayday for five years. I was homeless and on drugs. My Dad was supportive but I was out of control and couldn’t live at home. My Dad helped me find out about Mayday and we went to meet the staff together. We decided it would be the right place for me.
Dad died of cancer a few months after I arrived. It was a really difficult time for me so staff helped arrange bereavement counselling. The counselling helped me come to terms with his and my Mum’s death – she died when I was 12. Because of drugs I lost contact with my brother and sisters. I wanted to get them back so the staff encouraged me to start writing to them. After a few months we started meeting up and gradually begun to rebuild our relationships.
I am still having counselling, this time to build up my self-respect and confidence. In the past, especially when I was on drugs, people took advantage of me. Giving up the drugs was hard but getting my self-esteem back has been even harder.
Since I have been at Mayday the staff, and particularly my Key-worker, have worked with me and supported me. They’ve helped me make appointments and have been there when I needed someone to talk to. If it weren’t for the staff I probably wouldn’t be where I am now - I have my family back, am clean of drugs and am looking forward to a better future.
I’m hoping to move out at the end of the year but staff have told me I can come back if I have any problems. I’m a bit scared of leaving but I know they’ll always be there if I need them.
Graham
When my mum died I went to stay with a cousin but she had two children and when I had a seizure they got frightened. My cousin put me in an old folk’s home and I was very unhappy.
Someone told me about Mayday and I went to live at one of their schemes. It was called The Sands and was a residential home for people like me who had Learning Difficulties and Epilepsy. I learnt to do all sorts of new things. I learnt to cook for myself, keep my room clean, deal with my finances and even order my own prescriptions. Staff were always there for help and advice. I even went on holiday. It was always my dream to go to America so staff helped arrange for someone to take me. I will always have the memories in my head and photos to look at.
Because I was doing so well, I was allowed to move into a shared house. Luckily I already knew the two girls (yes I said girls) from The Sands and we all moved in on the same day. I had downstairs and they had up. We even went on holiday to the Isle of White without staff but with support in place – it was great fun!
Mayday could see that the next step for us was to get our own flats. Most of them are in the same block so that we feel safe and secure with staff on site. The staff are here in the daytime and are on call 24 hours a day. I think that’s just great as we get our own space and know that at the same time there is help if you want it.
If I need to go to the hospital or want to buy new things and don’t know where to go staff will go with me. They help me to cook, budget and deal with my finances, if I’m not well they help me out. They have helped me to see that I am a person who just happens to have Epilepsy and gets on with it. Before, I only thought of myself as An Epileptic.
My flat is great and I love it, in fact I’m the happiest I’ve ever been since my mum died. The next step for me would be to get my own tenancy with Mayday staff available to help me if I need. I don’t feel ready for my own tenancy just yet, but it is something to work towards.
I hope lots more people get the chances I’ve had with Mayday as it opens the door to so much.
