Maria’s Story

My first approach to Restore was after I had left work in September 2008 through ill-health. In previous years I had suffered bi-polar and been very ill at times.
My psychiatrist recommended Restore as a good starting point in getting back to work, gaining some qualifications and meeting people with similar problems. Restore helped me to access adult literacy and IT skills courses and I finally achieved my ITQ level 2 and literacy level 2. I have also made some good friends through Restore.

For many years I had only attended work and shopped and had not felt able to go out to anything else. Restore helped build my confidence and I gradually returned to a social life. It has been a great help having advice on job seeking and the support of Restore’s employment specialist. At the end of 2009 I started voluntary work in a charity shop, which helped me to gain confidence and put some structure into my life.

I had been actively seeking paid employment since early 2010 and in September 2010 was successful in gaining a permanent part time job. This is a retail job and I enjoy meeting people and get the chance to connect with others. It has given me a purpose to my days. I wouldn’t have come this far without the help of Restore’s employment specialists.