Testimonials & Experiences
The following are brief summaries of the testimonies given by some of the people who have benefitted from engagement with Focus on Family in recent years. All parties have consented to us sharing their stories, with only their real names being anonymised for privacy.
Michael
Michael used to leave his children into our after-schools programme, but wouldn’t stay in the building for any length of time. He had an abusive upbringing, and found it difficult to be in the same room as another adult male. Michael also had a speech impediment that he was very embarrassed about. We tried our best to get him to join the various classes, or even just to stay for a wee cup of tea - but to no avail. That was until six years ago, when we finally cracked it. He started to go with his children on the educational / cross-community trips that were taking place. Gradually - more and more - he took part in the classes too. Now Michael is a fully qualified facilitator, following accreditation from one of our programmes. One of Michael’s children has ADHD, and he now goes out of his comfort zone and delivers ADHD talks from a parent’s point-of-view. He also helps organise trips and classes and he encourages others to participate. Michael is a great ambassador for our centre. He no longer has the fear of adult men and when he facilitates he is fantastic. His confidence level has grown immensely, he even takes a group for cookery and everyone enjoys it so much that when there was to be a break for the summer, they complained that much that he had to start them up again. Michael still has some issues with his speech, but he is working hard to overcome these issues and he doesn’t let it stand in the way of his development. It is great to have Michael around and witness the journey that he has taken.
Sandra
Sandra enjoys coming to our centre. She is a recovering alcoholic, who benefits greatly from our services. She has made friends and says she doesn’t know what she’d do without us. Sandra goes to the computer classes, and has achieved a Level 3 Qualification. Previously, she went to the Essential Skills classes, and excelled at them. She now goes out into the community and gives talks on alcohol, and her experiences of how she had to beg for money and had lain in a ditch, full of alcohol. She gets embarrassed thinking about it, but all her experiences have made her a stronger person and have enabled her to pass on her learning for the benefit of others within the local area who are suffering with similar issues.
John
John came to the Essential Skills classes, having left school with no qualifications. By his own admission, he felt pretty stupid. It took a lot of courage from John to come into a strange place and start his learning all over again. Through the ongoing support of staff, he managed it and will be going to the local technical college in September. With new found self-belief he also took on a major project of renovating a house which didn’t even have any plumbing in it. The house is now livable and ready for tenants. The self-belief and confidence that this has given John is a joy to behold for the staff that first encouraged him to attend our centre.
George
George, a 78 year old gentleman, got his very first ever certificate when he passed his Entry Level 1 Numeracy. Boy was he chuffed!! Having left school early with no qualifications, he had struggled through life with minimal literacy and numeracy skills. This impacted not only on his ability to progress in employment, but also meant he often felt inferior and inadequate, therefore affecting his overall quality of life. Gaining the qualification, even at an older age, gave George a new sense of purpose, a new found confidence and a brighter outlook on life.
Martina
It took us some time before we were able to persuade Martina to join us at Focus on Family as she was nervous about social settings and found it difficult to mingle and mix. We persevered and staff visited her in her home to build trust and relationships and to empower her to join some of our pre-programme courses. Eventually, she got involved and now, several years later, and following engagement with a variety of courses and progression plans, Martina peer mentors other participants and runs a self-support group for those who want to share their skills, like knitting, crocheting and getting-to-know-you.
Rita
A husband and wife team who made soup and wheaten bread in the winter months, and faithfully ran a drop-in session for elderly or vulnerable people every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon on a voluntary basis. Rita now makes beautiful jewellery and shows others how to do the same during a free class at Focus on Family. Not an easy task for the pair of them as they have 3 children with learning difficulties, but they still find time for others. It is this sense of voluntary contribution which is such a big part of the success of Focus on Family.
Joanne
Joanne arrived at the centre with absolutely no academic qualifications but with a realisation that she wanted to achieve more than she had with her life. Through engagement and participation in the Essential Skills classes, she began to develop not only her skills-base but also her self-belief. She then progressed to career development provision provided by EGSA at our centre. Some years later, she is now a social worker and all because of her initial engagement with Focus on Family where she developed her confidence to further her learning, her career and her life options.
Tracey
Tracey is a young adult, has mild learning difficulties and couldn’t get a job placement anywhere, despite several attempts. Her classroom assistant, who is familiar with our project, asked if we would give her a chance. Tracey now volunteers part-time with us. She is a great help in reception, taking calls and giving us our messages. She has recently organised a bag packing day for us, to raise much needed funds for the centre. Tracey is a much-valued and well-loved member of our team.
Samantha
Samantha is an older adult with learning difficulties and for her, Focus on Family has been a life-line. She tends to drink too much when isolated and lonely, but we work hard to keep her occupied and be an everyday link with the more formalised organisations that support her. Samantha lives alone and is only doors away from the centre so when she is not going about her duties with us; we go and check to see if she is ok. She gets lonely when the centre is closed, but really enjoys being here and we really enjoy seeing how much pleasure she gets from her work with us.
Martha
Martha attends weekly classes in our centre and has participated in a wide range of the various programmes that we offer. In some she has progressed beyond the accredited stage that we offer. In these instances, she peer mentors the other participants and provides hands-on support to the facilitators and tutors where required. Despite a very painful condition she manages to faithfully arrive at Focus on Family and spend the full day attending to the needs of others.
We hope you have enjoyed reading the real-life testimonials of some of the people that use, or have used, our centre. We would be happy to talk more with you about our work.
If you’d be interested in finding out more, please give us a call on +44 (28) 7032 9550 or call in anytime to the centre - 48WR+7Q Coleraine.