East Midlands

Serving a life licence, Matthew* had done a lot of work on himself in custody but wanted support in finding employment in the community. At the Nottingham CFO Activity Hub Matthew* became a positive presence, supporting others with his lived experience and explaining things to unsure participants.
 
Matthew’s* Support Worker helped him identify transferrable skills and experience to search for appropriate work, even working around health restrictions to define a new career path for him. Despite being rejected for some job roles himself, Matthew* would still help others with their employment journey, displaying his dedication to supporting others.
 
Eventually however, he would apply for a role with the Shannon Trust, who support people who can’t read, or struggle to. This role was successfully secured and he is now operating as a Peer Mentor, returning to the CFO Activity Hub to support others with their reading, and visiting custody locations with Shannon Trust to inspire others on their rehabilitation journey.
 
These sessions have been beneficial to participants in improving their literacy skills and helping to make everyday information more accessible. They have also been positive for Matthew*, moving him closer to his career goals.
 
Speaking about his experience, Matthew* said: “Helping people to improve their literacy skills has had a strong impact on my sense of self and my self-worth. I don’t actually know if I helped anyone break the cycle they were on or not, but I like to think that I, at least, gave them the opportunity to do so. Peer mentoring has had a massively positive impact on my life and on the lives of others, including my own family. I definitely gain just as much from my mentoring work as I give to those I help and I hope it carries on for a long time to come.”