Pippa gained back the confidence she had lost

“Growing up I often experienced low moods but I would always try to fix and handle everything by myself. I would bury my low feelings by keeping myself busy. During the pandemic, things started to go downhill. Over time I became very anxious. Things that previously kept me occupied had come to a halt. It became easy to just sleep in and do nothing. I had little motivation and felt numb. It got to a point where I wanted to give up and felt hopeless. I ended up going to the doctor, who put me on anti-depressants and referred me to counselling. Alongside this, I was made redundant. I tried applying for new jobs, but it was so hard. I felt overwhelmed with anxiety. The job centre introduced me to YG and their training programmes.”

“It was nerve-racking, I am not a big fan of the unknown and this was something new. It was the YG staff and other young people that helped me to feel better. Everyone was really warm and welcoming. We did a lot of team-building activities and even went on a residential. I rediscovered myself. I gained back the confidence I had lost. It pulled me out of the rut I was in and made me believe I could do more.

“I applied for an apprenticeship in Marketing and Communications with Young Gloucestershire. I never would have had the confidence to go for a job like that before. I was successful and have been really enjoying continuing to work with the charity and learning new skills. It has been a great way for me to help others to hear about YG and how the charity can help them as it did with me. Working with YG, it felt like we were seeds in a plant pot and each of us has grown in a way we did not expect. It has been great for my family and friends to see me blossom.”