Now, for the first time in a long time, I’m excited for the future and to see what it brings

My name is Reece. I've always been a quiet person.

Growing up, home life was difficult. My dad struggled with alcohol and was in and out of my life. I never really had a relationship with him, and I still carry memories from that time. After he left, things became difficult between me and my mum too. When I was 19, she told me I had to leave home. At the time, it felt like abandonment. Looking back now, I understand that she wanted me to grow, become independent and build a life of my own.

That's when I moved into Transform. I'm now 26.

At first, living in a shared house was a real challenge. I was painfully shy, struggled to talk to people and spent most of my time alone. My bedroom had always been my safe place. I was living with depression, anxiety and a lot of emotions I didn't know how to deal with.

Around that time, I also lost one of my closest friends to suicide. It had a huge impact on me, and I felt more isolated than ever.

Transform supported me when I needed it most. My key worker helped me set up Universal Credit, manage my bills and access support for my mental health. More than that, she helped guide me when I didn't know how to move forward on my own.

One of the biggest things Transform gave me was belief. They didn't see me as someone without a future. They believed in me, worked alongside me and gave me opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise. Through Transform, I accessed the gym, therapy, courses and eventually my own flat. I've now lived independently for five years, and that has completely changed my life.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through Transform, is that there is always someone there to help, and that I’m not alone.

The last 18 months have been some of the best I've had. I passed my driving test, which gave me a freedom I'd never experienced before. For someone who spent years hiding away from the world, that was a huge achievement.

I still have difficult days, but I understand my depression and anxiety much better now. One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that I don't have to face everything alone. There's always someone there to help.

My relationship with my mum is really good now, and I even speak to my dad more than I ever thought I would. Family means a lot to me, even though things haven't always been easy.

I feel ready to move on from Transform and start a new chapter, and that's a big thing to say because Transform has been such an important part of my journey.

My goal now is to keep proving to myself that I can achieve things. For a long time, it felt easier not to try. I shut people out, built walls around myself and stopped believing in what I was capable of. Now I want to keep growing, build a future, maybe have a family of my own one day and become someone I'm proud of. What I appreciate most about my key worker is how genuine she is. She's honest, straightforward and tells me what I need to hear. I honestly don't think I'd be where I am today without Transform. They helped me rebuild my life step by step. They gave me hope when I didn't have much of my own, and for the first time in a long time, I'm excited to see what the future holds.

They helped me rebuild my life step by step. They gave me hope when I didn’t have much of it myself.