“I had just lost three members of my family. I was in long-term employment, I was getting bullied by a manager and all my confidence had gone. I was just in a dark place.”
This July, Clean Slate, home to Quids in!, celebrates 20 years of helping people become better off. To celebrate, Readers Club is handing the pages over to the people at the heart of our work. These are real stories from peers, clients and colleagues who found hope, practical support and the confidence to regain control.
Zara was struggling to see any light at the end of the tunnel. Work, grief, money worries and shame had all piled up. She felt embarrassed to tell people what was really going on.
Then her Jobcentre coach put her in touch with Clean Slate, where she met support worker Becci. It was not an instant fix. Zara needed time before she could open up. “I’m not going to lie, at first I thought she was a bit nosy”
But Becci kept showing up and kept Zara on track, even through her low days. “What I liked about Clean Slate and Becci is that I felt no judgement from her. She showed humanity, she showed empathy. She just brought me back to life.”
Zara realised that keeping everything in wasn’t helping anybody. “If I hide something back from you, then you can’t help me.”
Together, they worked through Zara’s finances before Becci suggested Clean Slate’s ‘7 signs’ employment and skills workshop to build her CV and skills. Zara then joined the Ele-Ments Peer Training Programme, but when a permanent role came up, she didn’t get it.
“It was a bit of a bummer,” she says, “but I didn’t feel that I was really ready.”
Another chance came up a year later, and this time Zara got the role. Nine months on, she’s a Quids in! Coach at drop-in centres across London, using her own experience to help others.
“I’ve been in their shoes. What Clean Slate does as a team and what I try to do is guide people with regard to their money and give them some answers, but they’re in control.”
Now Zara is doing for others what Becci did for her.
“Sometimes we just have to reroute the train to get to our destination. Things take time. It might be dark, but there is light. You just have to ask because if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
Ready to take the first step? If we need support with money, work or confidence, we do not have to do it alone. Quids in! has drop-in centres in some areas, offering friendly, practical support with money guidance, workshops and one-to-one help. Find one near you.
Image: Thirdman/Pexels
