Charlotte talks about how she overcame homelessness and is now returning to education to help other young people. Watch her story:

Charlotte spent her childhood caring for her parents and siblings but faced significant mental health challenges due to her responsibilities.

Her life took a turn when she reached out to her local EveryYouth charity, Roundabout. Charlotte discusses how Roundabout has supported her and what her life looks like now.

“There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Please can you tell us a bit about yourself and your life growing up. 

“So, my name’s Charlotte, I’m 25. My life growing up was very turbulent. I was a carer for my parents and my three siblings which was very challenging on my mental health. I had a real battle with caring for them and caring for myself, and I felt like no professionals really saw any red flags about my situation.”

How did you get in touch with Roundabout? 

“So I got in touch with Roundabout through my local council when I declared myself as homeless, and ever since then, Roundabout have offered me tenancy support, support with well-being and looking for work and getting into university as well.”

What was that support like? What was good about it? 

“I think what was good about it is that Roundabout always go the extra mile to be there for you, like whatever you need I feel like they really try to accommodate that. And I feel that Roundabout treat you like one of your friends, or like they are very close with you. I feel like there’s a good relationship between a young person and the people that you work with. And I think for the young people who don’t necessarily have good relationships with people that their relationships are not very steady going, it’s good to have that relationship that’s constant.”

Can you tell me a bit your life now? What do you want for your future? 

“I think my life now is a lot more stable than it used to be. I’ve learnt how to manage relationships in a positive way and have boundaries that are based on my needs and what I need. And I think that’s really good that I have learnt that because when I was younger I used to just do what other people wanted to do, I never really thought about what I wanted to do or what I needed and that’s gave me a real chance to think about my future and what I want to do. I think I really want to use my experiences to help other young people being in situations like myself and use my experiences for good.”

How are you feeling about going to University in September? 

“I do feel nervous but I’m excited to be on a new chapter as well and learn more about myself and what I am capable of and just put my story out there and hopefully help some other young people in the way that Roundabout has helped me.”

What advice would you give to someone who is going through a similar situation to what you went through? 

“I think just keep going. I think there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, and you will get there however you get there, and there’s no time-frame. It will happen when it happens and you’ve just got to stay positive. Keep your eyes on the ball.”

To find out more about our EveryYouth Employed programme click here.