By Geoff Poulton, The Guardian, March 16, 2021
It took years for Paige Parker to find help. Life had been difficult growing up in the tiny Cotswold town of Winchcombe, says the 22-year-old: her father left when she was young, and her mother endured several abusive relationships, which took their toll on both of them. Parker struggled at school, fell in with the wrong crowd and found herself heavily dependent on drugs and alcohol.
“I was totally lost and unmotivated. My life wasn’t heading in a good direction,” she says. Seeking help wasn’t easy either. “I always found it very difficult to trust people and open up. But Young Gloucestershire was different. I felt welcome. I didn’t feel judged.”
Parker has been working with Young Gloucestershire for just under two years. The organisation works with 11- to 25-year-olds faced with challenging circumstances, such as disruptive home lives or coping with mental health issues, offering a range of services aimed at helping young people build confidence and develop the skills they need to move into work, education or training. They’ve provided Parker with access to counselling, helped her get back into studying and even introduced her to the sweaty thrill of boxercise classes.
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