“I’m 33 years old and a mum to a teenager. I have worked in offices since leaving college doing administrative work, but as my disability has progressed I now no longer work. I volunteer with MCR Pathways and also a charity called Shout where I am trained to listen and offer support to people in times of crisis. I was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called Friedreich’s Ataxia when I was 19 and I feel this has really shaped who I am as a person today. As it’s a progressive disease, I’ve had to adapt to living with these disabilities.

I feel my life has been a bit of a roller coaster so far with lots of ups and downs: my parents divorced when I was 12, I was diagnosed with a life-limiting condition, I was made redundant from jobs and I’ve had my own mental health struggles. However, all of this has made me who I am. I definitely think having a mentor would’ve helped me when I was younger. I think having an adult to share their life experiences with me and provide guidance would’ve had such a positive impact on me and helped me to reach my full potential!

I was initially concerned about how using a wheelchair would impact my journey. I was worried about how I would be perceived by the young people. I have since realised that my disability isn’t a barrier to mentoring, if anything it has made me feel more confident in speaking about it. It was my mum that actually recommended that I apply to be a volunteer mentor with MCR Pathways. What I enjoy most about being a mentor is spending time with the young person and learning about each other. It makes me feel proud that I’m helping someone to be the best version of themselves. My mentee has taught me a lot about teenagers today which has been helpful for my own family and my confidence in general has increased. My mentee enjoys my company and having a consistent person in their life who they can speak to about anything without judgement.

Age is just a number! We all have a different life story and background. The application process is very detailed and the Coordinators do their best to match you with a young person who has similar interests so it’s easier to form a bond. This is only 1 hour a week and it’s term time only – I’ve found the schools to be extremely flexible in helping to find a time that suits both myself and my mentee.”