Abbie’s Story

I was just 15 years old and pregnant when I started with Bridges Project.

I wasn’t really a people person and hated meeting new people so I was taken to meet Chris from Bridges Project with my family support worker at the time because she believed I needed help to be more confident in myself, to go out more, make friends with people, say what’s on my mind and know that people do care – that not everyone is out to get me.

From there, Chris and I would meet up once a week to have a chat about what’s going on at home, how I feel about being a mum or just to get an hour away from real life and just sit down.

After a few months, I realised Chris was someone I could actually talk to and he would actually listen and wasn’t just another person to judge me. Chris made me see that people do help and not to just hate everyone or give up with them before even meeting them. We spoke about things I had never told anyone.

Chris then got me to speak to Jackie from Bridges as well. Jackie helped me with getting over things that had happened in my past and once I came to terms with it all, I then found myself and could feel happy again.

I later had a little boy called Coby and was still seeing Chris every week, building my confidence to go outside and not be stuck in the house all the time. Chris helped me be me and a person who has people to talk to when needed as I didn’t get much of that at home.

I then became homeless and had to live with my partner at the time and his mum until I got my own place but before I got my own place, Chris introduced me to a woman called Candace. She was working for Bridges Project too. Candace was there to help me with financial issues and housing and all important forms I would need to fill in as I have trouble doing so.

Candace also ran a mother and baby group. I had never wanted to go to a group but she asked me to come along and I did so. I made a few friends and was coming out of my shell a lot more to other mums as I was scared to be judged because I was 16 and had a baby.

Anxiety stopped me doing a lot but Chris and Candace help me. I had so much more confidence and wasn’t so worried all the time when leaving the house.

From there, the social worker left first, then Chris and Candace left because they had done their job and weren’t needed any more and I was doing so well on my own I didn’t need them. That gave me a feeling like I had achieved so much from where I started to where I was in December 2018. From there, I met the person I am with now. We had another baby boy, Riley, who was born in February 2020 and we are still together now in 2022. We are happy as ever, waiting on the arrival of our second child together – a little girl who will join us in March.

I still think of how far I have come to achieve this life. I now have a few close mum friends from the school my son Coby is at and we go for coffee at least one day a week and just have a general chat. I have Bridges Project to thank for it all.

So thank you so much for helping me become the person I am today and helping me be more confident.

Abbie Renton, 20