From House Bound to Work Proud - Freya’s Story

Freya joined Street League after experiencing significant struggles at school and subsequently dropping out of college due to severe anxiety. She missed a lot of school during COVID and felt increasingly isolated. When she began college, she found it challenging to cope and spent most of that year hardly leaving her house. Freya described the educational environment, especially within large groups, as intimidating and overwhelming.

Before starting the course, we met with Freya one-on-one to explain everything involved, allowing her to feel reassured and know what to expect. We informed her that we would engage in some group activities for initial learning, such as presentations, but that the majority of activities would take place in smaller groups. We also offered to support Freya on a one-on-one basis with her qualifications, as she struggled with reading and retaining information, despite never having been formally diagnosed with a learning issue.

Freya agreed to attend the Academy for one week to see how she felt, with no pressure to commit to the entire program. During that first week, it became evident how positively getting out of the house and engaging in social interaction was affecting her. Over the following weeks, she began to come out of her shell. Although she was initially hesitant to participate in sports, she found enjoyment in our Wellbeing walks.

Noticing that Freya preferred solo activities over team sports, we thought she might benefit from some gentle exercise in the gym. She enjoyed her induction and started looking forward to the Thursday gym sessions, where she adhered to the workout plan we provided. Ultimately, she chose to focus on improving her fitness for her SQA Wellbeing Award and achieved this to a very high standard.

Gaining further qualifications and becoming more active had a tremendous impact on Freya's confidence and motivation. She began applying for part-time jobs with support from staff, something she wouldn't even consider at the beginning of the program.

Freya completed the academy early after securing part-time employment at McDonald's, a significant accomplishment. However, she continued attending to finish her qualification, as she had invested so much effort into it.

Six months later, Freya has sustained her employment at McDonald's, received additional hours and responsibilities, and is truly enjoying her role there. She has made close friends and is maintaining her fitness by walking to and from work every day, in addition to still attending the gym.

Freya expressed that coming to Street League provided her with a fresh start and a boost to overcome her nerves in a comfortable environment. This experience has helped her move forward and feel optimistic about the future.