Lauren felt alone and had no one to support her.

“When I was a kid I was abused by my mum and had never dealt with it – I never told anyone. During the lockdowns when life stopped, my mind took over and it all started coming to the surface. I became really ill. I was hospitalised for a while and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. It was all caused by my mental health. I also broke up with my partner, had to move out of our place so ended up sofa surfing and got caught up using substances as a way of coping. Everything was going wrong all at the same time. I was an emotional wreck. I felt so alone and had no family to support me.

“YG helped me get into supported housing and supported me with counselling as I contacted the police and decided to press charges. I later returned to YG to help me with the change from supported housing to living alone and independently. I worked with another counsellor and for the first time in my life formed a positive relationship with an older female.

“YG have been amazing – I have never felt judged and was able to be open and honest. YG are so welcoming. It never feels clinical or like they are trying to tick a box. They feel like they genuinely care. You feel safe with them. Working with YG has really changed my life, I am a different person to the one I was a couple of years ago, I now see myself differently. I only hope in the future I will be able to work in a job that allows me to help others the way YG has helped me.”