Month: June 2019

Updated June 2020

Alastair had left his previous job over three years ago due to stress, experiencing regular anxiety attacks and depression which made him feel isolated he reflected that before joining HeadsUp he wasn’t “doing a lot”. A Nurse from Healthy Minds had had very good feedback about HeadsUp and recommended the project to Alastair, and as his medication started to work, he felt ready to go for it and hasn’t really looked back since.

Alastair felt nervous about starting, especially about the first meeting but he also felt it was good to be pushed outside his comfort zone and as soon as he met his Peer Support Worker Andria, he was reassured by her own experiences of common mental health problems, and he knew he had made the right choice. He began to look forward to his meetings and experiencing a new approach to looking for work. Having someone to review his CV and spend time supporting him, gave Alastair the motivation he needed. His initial hope was to get a CV that reflected his skills and experiences, and he wanted ideas on applying for jobs. After working with Andria, he got just that.

“[I] Got more out of it than I was expecting” Alastair stated when reflecting on everything he did whilst on the project. Alastair found the workshops very beneficial, meeting others and learning from others helped boost his self-belief and wellbeing. He felt being with others that were in similar situations and hearing other people’s experiences was “really beneficial and important”. Alastair is thankful that he had the opportunity to be supported by HeadsUp as being part of the project has given him his positivity back, made him focus and look at jobs in different ways. All of this has made him feel more confident and people have noticed this improvement within him. Alastair is now able to meet current and potential participants and talk about his journey and achievements and the role HeadsUp has played.

Alastair is now working, with a rolling contract with a startup business in Canterbury as a consultant, training their staff on animal care and spending time caring for animals. Alongside his work he also volunteers at the animal sanctuary and volunteers at MIND as a befriender too. He enjoys staying busy and helping people and animals, so this job and volunteering roles has given Alastair a new lease of life. He is positive about his abilities and is happy to be able to give back to others.

The last thing Alastair has to say is – “Go and give it a try, it’s well worth giving it a go as you get so much out of it… its changed my life!”