Charlotte's - Story
Before I came on the programme I was basically looking after my little one, who is five now. I really just saw myself as a Mum. I was really shy at first, I don’t feel like I come across as a very enthusiastic person but once I got to know everyone on the course it was really good fun.
After leaving school, I did healthcare and social care at college, and then I had my son, Marcus. Early on in the programme we did lots of team activities and we also played rugby, did loads of gym games and things like that. I was quite shy but everyone was really welcoming and I also brought my brother and his girlfriend into the group which was really good. As the programme went on we did more stuff, we did wall climbing which I didn’t really enjoy but I was proud that I did it! We also went for walks on the beach where I wanted to push Paul and James (the athlete mentors) into the sea, but I didn’t!
I genuinely found that coming to the programme was like having a second family, you can talk to them about stuff and they don’t judge you like your friends might do sometimes.
Paul and James were both great to work with. They’ve taught us how to be more confident and they were always there to listen. When we did Zoom sessions during the lockdown and we were having hard times, they were always keen to help and were really good at helping you handle stress or if you were feeling down.
“Charlotte has been a 100% attendee on the course for the last 12 months, despite having Marcus her little boy and completing numerous qualifications. Her commitment to being a great role model for her son has been inspirational to see. ”
James Kirton, Athlete Mentor
During the lockdowns I’ve done quite a few online courses through Skills Network so I can learn new skills. I want to get a better job in the future so I can create a better life for my son. At the moment I’m taking a Caring for Children and Young People course which I’m hoping will be really helpful for my career.
Currently I’m working in McDonalds, but in time I’m hoping to get a new job, hopefully in a care home, using the skills I’ve learned through Skills Network. Because of my epilepsy I can only work a certain number of hours a week, up to 16 hours, so it’s a bit difficult to find a job but I’m really hopeful I can get something in the future.
Being on Get on Track has certainly encouraged me to be more active. Before the course, I was always stuck in with Marcus, I didn’t have the confidence to go out, but now I know that I can go out more and do more exercise. Now I’ve been doing more walking around the village and playing football with my son. I want to get some weights so I can do more exercise at home while he’s sleeping, and once the course has finished, I want to keep on walking more and going out to the park.
I’d really recommend the programme. It’s helped me gain confidence and if you’re shy like me, it’ll help with that! It helped me get more active and you’ll have staff who’ll talk to you, help you, and they don’t judge you, they’re all great.
Charlotte attended the Get on Track for Wellbeing programme in Scarborough in partnership with North Yorkshire Sport. Thanks to funding from Sport England, we are working with 700 young people in coastal communities all across England to help them become more active.