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How your support can help young people like Sam recover from trauma, rebuild their confidence and discover their passions in life.
Growing up, Sam lived with his father, his step-mother and their younger children. His mother also lived nearby. Shortly after Sam’s 21st birthday, an argument with his father turned violent. Sam said, “He pinned me up against the wall and started strangling me. He only stopped when my step-mum stepped in.” Sam was so upset and traumatised he grabbed his things and left the house.
“I went to this cafe and sat with all my bags. The owner noticed the marks on my neck and called the police, who took me to A&E.”
Sam’s father was arrested and pleaded guilty to non-fatal strangulation. Sam hasn’t seen or spoken to him since. “I don’t want him in my life anymore.”
After the incident, Sam went to stay with his grandmother but found it was too far away from his work. He then went to stay in another hostel before coming to YMCA.
“The staff there were okay, but they weren’t like the staff here at YMCA. Here they’re more willing to help and care. People actually listen to you.”
Sam has autism, Tourette’s and ADHD, which he takes medication for, and he recalls struggling with his social skills when he first arrived at YMCA.
"I was quiet and struggled to make friends."
“The staff here at YMCA have massively helped me with my growth and confidence, and finding out who I really am.”
While he’s been at YMCA, Sam has taken part in life-skills courses, including one on budgeting that has helped him sort out his finances – which is a huge achievement.
Being at YMCA has also helped Sam believe in himself and how he relates to others.
He really enjoys being involved in a range of activities and is even helping to set up a gardening club in the community garden for other residents to grow their own vegetables.
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"The staff here at YMCA have massively helped me with my growth and confidence, and finding out who I really am.”
Being at YMCA has also helped Sam believe in himself and how he relates to others. He really enjoys being involved in a range of activities and is even helping to set up a gardening club in the community garden for other residents to grow their own vegetables.
Sam has also discovered a keen interest in music through YMCA’s music production course. He describes himself as a ‘Eurovision fanatic’ and has arranged viewing parties with other YMCA residents, as well as travelling by himself to places like Belfast and Amsterdam to see his favourite artists in concert.
Looking to the future, Sam is ready to move out of YMCA and live independently.
He feels a bit anxious about this next step but is proud of himself and the exceptional progress he is making.
Thanks to generous supporters like you, young people like Sam are forging forward: finding their feet, discovering their passions – and looking to the bright futures they deserve.
*Wherever possible, we use actual photographs of the young people we are helping. In other cases, we’ve used models and changed names to protect their identities.
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