Vivian Howells

I left school at the age of 15 after a very difficult education experience. I had learning difficulties which led to behaviour problems – in fact I hated my whole school experience. During my last year at school I met a boy and started dating.

After leaving school I starting work in Tesco’s – I enjoyed earning a wage, mixing with colleagues and enjoyed the work. A few months after starting work at Tesco’s I got pregnant. Due to complications in my pregnancy I could only carry on working for the first 2 months and then had to leave.

After leaving my job my relationship became very difficult, I lost my confidence and didn’t leave the house much. I had my son and then had another 2 children within the next 2 years (another son and a daughter). Having 3 children under the age of three caused even more major problems in my relationship. It also made me feel more and more isolated and I had no confidence.

My relationship broke up and I had to move away leaving behind my 2 sons to stay with their father and only taking my daughter with me. I moved back to my hometown but, in an area where I didn’t know many people, this made me continue to feel very isolated and because of my relationship problems it made me feel very vulnerable.

Near where I lived, the Garnsychan Partnership was running the “Growing the Veg Box” scheme and asking for volunteers. I decided to volunteer.

I started volunteering in May 2010. I spent most of the summer last year on the allotments, which was the most enjoyable thing I have done in a long time. I helped with the planting up, weeding, watering, picking/pulling and general maintenance of the allotments. To have been able to help at the site has been great – this helped me to start to change my life, it gave me more confidence and has gave me the drive to make my life better. I also buy veg and fruit most weeks which is at the very best quality, and now I lead a healthier life style.

My next step was to gain more skills to be able to get a job – I decided I wanted to work in admin, so I enrolled onto the Microsoft Learn to Win project (Computer Training).

I had enjoyed the small amount of computers we did in school but needed to learn a lot more job related skills to be able to gain employment. I have been taking part in the project for the last 12 months and learnt a wide range of skills – including basic skills, word processing skills, using the internet and email skills, presentation skills, spreadsheet skills, database skills and many others.

Before I started volunteering for the Garnsychan Partnership, I was so unhappy, I would stay home all the time had very few friends and no confidence. I could hardly read or write, I left school with no qualifications. I would often eat takeaways and junk foods and thought I had no chance of ever getting a job.

Now I am happy, outgoing and I socialise all the time with the friends I made with my new gained confidences. I attend college for English and Maths course every week and have gained credits for both my English and Maths courses. I also have a full time training placement through Learn About as an admin/teaching assistant where I am putting the skills I have learnt into action gaining vital job experience so I can go forward and get a job.

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