Neesha entered the care system at just 10 years old. At 18, she joined our Power2 Succeed programme for care-experienced young people, where she met Mark, her Programme Lead.
For the first time in her life, Neesha found someone who truly listened to her without judgement, offering the support and encouragement she had long been missing.
“I bottled up my emotions because I didn’t feel loved, and I wasn’t being listened to by anyone.”
As Neesha navigated the often difficult transition from care to independent living, she felt frustrated because the service providers were busy and sometimes difficult to get a hold of. However, Mark stepped in to offer unwavering support. He became her advocate, addressing her concerns when they were ignored, resolving issues on her behalf and ensuring her voice was always heard.
High school was difficult for me. I was struggling a lot of the time and had things going on in my family life. I felt like I couldn’t cope with things, and I didn’t get treated well in the care system. I was going through a lot of emotions. I wasn’t happy with my living situation which made it difficult to focus on school. I felt like I was on my own and had no one to talk to.
“I didn’t get much response, so I struggled to get in contact with someone. I was then found accommodation, but it was somewhere I’d lived before that wasn’t right for me.”
“Eventually I moved into a property which was suitable for me, but then I was told I had rent arrears even though I’d made the payments. It panicked me and I was stressed. I told Mark straight away and he resolved the situation with me.”
“Then there was another housing issue where my bedroom was mouldy. On the day I told Mark, he came that same day to have a look. He rang up the council straight away and made plans for it to be fixed.”
“When I’d ring up and speak to the service providers, they wouldn’t listen to me. I couldn’t get anywhere with them. It made me worry. Mark was the only one who was listening to me.”
“Often, Mark encouraged me to speak on the phone so I could practice being a bit calmer. A lot of that has stuck with me and the advice he gave me has been helpful. Mark’s calming nature has helped me to not only come out of my comfort zone but also express my feelings better where previously I would have let them get the better of me.”
I also started to recognise within myself when I felt down and needed to get out of the house. Whenever I felt this way, I’d express it to Mark and he would take me out somewhere, whether it was to the park or a coffee shop. It made me feel better. I felt happy. I came out of my shell.”
“Mark would say such positive things to me – he was always praising me and encouraging me. Having him as my mentor was the best thing in my life.”
As Neesha became more independent, she expressed her desire to find work. Mark helped her to update her CV and navigate the job search.
“I applied for several jobs but didn’t hear back. Then, Mark told me about an internship as a Programme Assistant at Power2. I applied – and I got it!”
“After three months on the internship, Power2 offered me a permanent role! I was so pleased that my hard work paid off.”
“As a Programme Assistant, I support the young people on the group programmes with their wellbeing and development.”
“In the beginning, I was out of my comfort zone and quite quiet, but now my colleagues say I’m ‘confident’ and a ‘completely different person’.”
Now, as a Programme Assistant, Neesha can help others in the same way Mark helped her.
“It’s great working with the young people because I can relate to them. I speak to them how Mark spoke to me.”
“I always tell them that I used to struggle with expressing my emotions and felt frustrated that I wasn’t getting listened to – just like them – and how I had a mentor who was there for me. I tell them how I used calming techniques to help me.”
“The young people look up to me and they say, ‘You’re the best, you’re always there for me when I need you and you’re always there to listen.’”
“I’m now making plans for the future and I’d love to travel the world. I’ve booked a holiday to Spain next year.”
“Despite all the negative people that tried to put me down, look where I am now.”
