For 40 years, Sarah's life was defined by addiction, abuse, and trauma. Here she shares her story of turning her life around with support from Beam.
My life before: Addiction and abuse
My life was chaotic. It was painful. There was a lot of domestic violence. And it was all because of the lifestyle that I was living, the people that I was hanging around with, and the value that I had on my self-worth. I wasn’t able to make sensible choices because I was constantly intoxicated or wanted to go where there was access or freedom to be able to do as much as I wanted. I’ve put myself in some very dangerous situations that I'm so thankful to have survived.
Finding support from Beam 🤝
I first heard about Beam in rehab. At first, I didn't think much more of it while I continued the rest of my recovery. Once I moved into the move-on house, as an extension from rehab, did a solid year of recovery meetings and service, I started thinking about my future. What am I going to do? How am I going to work? How am I going to live? So I made the call and got assigned to a caseworker, who was lovely. It was a real boost for me to have Beam behind me and supporting me.
£4,673 was raised to fund my health and social care qualification, as well as other things like a laptop, travel costs, and work clothes.
Finding confidence with my Beam campaign 😊
When my campaign launched, I was sceptical at first - who’s going to donate to little old me? But once the funding and the messages started to come in, it was so overwhelming. I was blown away.
I still remember one message, and it said: “So proud of you. You are amazing. You are an inspiration. Stay strong.”
And my confidence and self-esteem shot through the roof. I was full of feelings like I can do anything! And anytime I struggled through my course, I’d look at that message and remember that feeling I had, where I could do anything.
Becoming a carer 💛
I’ve always been a carer. I just didn't care for myself. But it’s naturally in me. Right now I'm a carer for an elderly lady who has dementia. She's a joy and it’s a privilege to work with her. If I hadn't got my qualifications, which Beam funded for me, I would never have got this opportunity. My long-term goal is to open my own care home for the elderly.
Becoming the mum I wanted to be
Having a safe place to call home has allowed me to build on my relationship with my daughter. Since getting clean, my daughter respects me. I can the level of respect that I’m stable and earning money now and that I’m up and willing to go to work. I hope I’m an inspiration to her. She always tells me she is proud of me. For me it's the little moments - when my daughter sends me a message and says ‘I love you mum’. And those are the little moments for me.
My life now: Warm, safe, and secure 🏠
I was always sofa surfing or living in unsafe places. When I was little, I would find myself looking in other people’s windows because all I ever wanted was somewhere warm, cosy, and safe. With Beam’s support, they’ve made that happen.
Beam has given me my security. This is my dream. This is all I ever wanted. I feel safe, and it's clean, and it's all mine.
A message of thanks 🫶
To all my supporters, I just want to say thank you so much. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your guidance. Thank you for your generosity. You have been my biggest cheerleaders, and I just want you to know that your support has helped build my self-esteem and my confidence.
Sarah's campaign wrapped 🎁
💰 £4,673 raised | 🙌 132 supporters
You can check out Sarah's campaign, here.
