Meet Sarah: the single mum who overcame addiction at 40
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.