Joe's story: "I've rebuilt relationships with friends and family"

Joe was living in supported housing after overcoming issues related to substance misuse.

But poor mental health and a mistake involving his medication led to him falling back into bad habits. He also began to become isolated from others.

“I had started getting into a bad frame of mind. I began to get worried about myself.”

How we helped

Joe began seeking help which led to him contacting our Aspirations service. He was paired with Aspirations worker Paul and together they worked to improve Joe’s situation.

Joe received help signing up for counselling paid for by Aspirations. This led to a decline in his alcohol consumption and improvements to his mental health. “I don’t know what kind of mental state I would be in now if I hadn’t contacted Aspirations,” he says.

We also helped him apply for a series of computing courses which could lead to a career in IT. “I certainly wasn’t in a place to do that before Aspirations got involved," he comments.

Most crucially, we made sure that Joe continued receiving support from Aspirations when moving across the county. Sometimes when people move home, they have to find new support networks which can undo a lot of the therapeutic work that’s already taken place.

A brighter future

Now, the future is looking bright for Joe. “I’ve rebuilt relationships with my friends and family and I know what I want to do with my future. Anyone who’s in the position I was in should reach out to Aspirations. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

Our Aspirations service can help you rediscover your confidence, find ways to cope with your mental health & wellbeing, feel less isolated, and get into work, volunteering or education.

Aspirations is a Building Better Opportunities project, funded by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery, through the Big Lottery Fund.