Young mum praises Romsey Mill for helping her through the tough times

Romsey Mill has launched a £30,000 fundraising appeal after Cambridgeshire County Council's decision to end its contract to deliver children's centre services.

Supporting Romsey Mill’s appeal will enable them to work with young families going through tough times, so they can look forward to a brighter future. Young mum Mollie explains how the centre has supported her.

Young mum Mollie is enthusiastically looking forward to going to university and pursuing a future in forensic science.

For the present, the 21-year-old is working full-time as a carer and bringing up her son Noah as a single parent.

But she has mapped out her route to her chosen career, including doing a foundation course in applied science at Cambridge Regional College, and a degree in forensic sciences at Anglia Ruskin University.

However, Mollie’s thoughts about the present and the future were not always so positive. She says that she does not know where her life would be ,or in which direction she would be going, but for Romsey Mill’s caring support and help, since she found she was pregnant at 19.

Mollie said: “I had no idea where my life was going and no idea what to do as a mum when my son Noah was born.

“There were times when I really didn’t know what to do. It was so stressful.

“But the team at Romsey Mill were always there for me – giving practical advice and emotional support whenever I was really struggling and helping me to look forward more positively and confidently.

“Beth, my young parents worker at Romsey Mill, would text me regularly to ask how I was getting on; we’d then meet for coffee and spend time together. She was great at suggesting ideas to help me with whatever the problem was. She was always there for me. She got me through it.”

With Beth’s encouragement, Mollie attended Romsey Mill’s Babies and Buddies sessions and took part in various skills and qualification courses, all organised as part of Romsey Mill’s Young Parents Programme.

Mollie said: “At Babies and Buddies I’ve made friends for life and I’ve learned so much about being a mum. And the courses have been so important, particularly maths, which really helped re-energise my brain after being out of work and education for a while; and SHINE which has helped build my confidence, which was really low.

“The prospect of going for job interviews was really daunting, I was so nervous. But Beth talked me through it all, every step of the way.”

Mollie got the job and is now working full-time as a carer, visiting people at home and caring for them. Mollie loves the job and it is going really well – she was named Carer of the Month for October.

But she is also looking forward to fulfilling her dream and working in forensic science when Noah, who is now nearly two, is a bit older.

“People think I’m silly, but I’ve always wanted to work in forensic science, since I watched The Bill on TV as a child. It’s a dream job for me, and I was obsessed with it. I was working towards it, doing a diploma in Uniformed Studies before I fell pregnant. At times I thought that I might not achieve my dream, but Beth and the team at Romsey Mill have been so helpful. I wouldn’t have achieved what I have without them.

“I love being a mum and I’m really excited for the future.”