Meet Rachel, our new Support Manager! We are so pleased to welcome Rachel to The Wolfpack team, she was kind enough to share with us her personal story.
“My name is Rachel and I am the new Support Manager here at The Wolfpack Project – so excited to start meeting you all!
Originally a Northerner, I’ve spent my life living in Greater Manchester or the East Midlands, with Nottingham becoming my home in 2015. I have a background in Youth Work and have since become more specialised in Mental Health through my training as a Mental Health First Aider and working in Pastoral Support.
Connection is an important part of wellbeing, so I’m excited to help people find a place to belong and meet others in safe spaces.
Outside of work, spending time with friends is a big part of my social life, mostly for food and board games.
My husband and I are trying to challenge ourselves to do 1 long walk each month, alongside getting out and about in nature anyway.
I enjoy reading, music (sing & play guitar) and baking.
Experiences of Loneliness:
I am an only child and my Mum has a few long-term health issues.
There were times where my dad would be away, so it would often just be the two of us.
No one else I knew was going through similar, so it made it hard to keep friendships going or join in with other social events
Also experienced bullying to the point where we moved house once because the community was so unwelcoming to me and my family
I tried my hand at a PGCE. During the year, my mental health really dipped to the point where I couldn’t cope on the course anymore.
My GP signed my off and I retreated back in with my parents (who lived in a different town) and starting from scratch was hard. My husband and I were long distance at this point, which sometimes added to disconnect
I have had cancer – 5 years remission and counting. It’s the club that no one wants to join, but I have the scars to prove I’m in. I know people older than me who have had it, but very few people my age and type of cancer.
As much as my support network then was great, treatment, recovery and scan-anxiety are lonely processes.”
Our groups and one to one sessions will be resuming shortly, if you are experiencing poor mental health or feelings of loneliness and isolation, please contact us by email at hello@thewolfpackproject.org.uk or alternatively, you can message us via our social media channels.
