MENU 
30.09.2021
Whilst researching local mental health support, Ella became aware of Illuminate's workshops which had transitioned from community delivery to online and she immediately signed up. Following an introduction at one of the online workshops, she requested a 1:1 meeting with our Community Coordinator, Anna Gilchrist. During one of these conversations, Ella disclosed that her Mum passed away when she was 23 and she had just returned from university having successfully achieved a degree in Illustration. Following the loss of her Mum, she qualified as a nursery teacher securing a management position within a local nursery, however she then experienced burnout. Her relationship with her partner had become controlling and abusive leading to Ella leaving the relationship and a period of homelessness.
She has been on a significant recovery journey following this period of her life. The impact of challenging accommodation at Jimmy's Nightshelter found Ella experiencing periods of uncertainty and, having few family connections, she struggled with her mental and physical health. In November 2019, she was offered temporary accommodation with the Cambridge Cyrenians women-only household. Through accessing mental health services, Ella received a diagnosis of PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in January 2020 for which she was signposted to a waiting list for PD support and 1:1 counselling. By March 2021, she was beginning to feel more positive, settled, and active within her new community however found herself challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Ella described herself as having felt “isolated and demoralised”, stuck in her room and disconnected from her housemates.
It was during this time that she joined the weekly online community catch up sessions, contributing to discussions and exploring ideas, and she found the connection to Illuminate and the beneficiary group both “supportive and helpful.”
In October 2020, Ella was then allocated a housing association property through HomeLink. The relocation period was stressful for her however, with support from the community beneficiary group, she was able to source furniture and practical items, was signposted to Cambridge Reuse and to a community volunteer who was able to assist her with paperwork and utilities sign up. As she settled into the new accommodation, Ella remained connected to the Illuminate Community Group attending mindfulness, pop-up crafting sessions and an outdoor meeting with http://www.findyourwild.org/, and this connection offered Ella continuity, connection and a forward-focused mindset.
Following discussions about her personal journey, Ella reflected she was keen to contribute her voice and experience to address the issues of homelessness that she had found challenging as a single woman. She was offered the opportunity to join the Women’s Homelessness Action Group (WHAG) and invited to become a member of The Co-production Liaison Group, both action groups within the https://www.ittakesacity.org.uk/ initiative which she continues to contribute to. In January 2021, Ella attended a ‘Trauma Informed Delivery’ training through It Takes a City, contributed to an article in the Varsity, a university publication https://www.varsity.co.uk/opinion/20699 and accepted an invitation to speak at the Cambridge Student Unions Reclaim the Night online event in March 2021.
Ella says, "It's all been really helpful, my connection to Illuminate. It's good to connect with an organisation who understands mental health issues. I have had an amazing journey, connected with likeminded people in the community group, joining mindfulness and crafting sessions and I have consistently been given encouragement and kindness. Through Anna, the Community Engagement Coach, I have been offered opportunities to become involved in some positive groups beyond Illuminate and she introduced me to the Women’s Homeless Action Group (WHAG). This is something I feel that I can contribute to, issues around homelessness for women, which is close to my heart as the provisions for single women who find themselves homeless really need to be improved. I had some really dark days at the start of the pandemic before connecting with Illuminate, but the journey with them has been amazing. If I look back, I realise that I have been valued and appreciated within the community group and we’ve been able to support one another and that has made a huge difference to my life."
