'I cannot wait to begin my travels next year.  I’ve deferred University for one year, because I just want to travel for a bit.  I’m working part-time to save up and next year is going to be my year-first stop-Australia!

 

As a small child, my parents were together but used to take drugs for recreational use.  Dad started to deal drugs and mum was reckless, going off having other relationships.   What we didn’t know at the time was mum had bipolar. You know, despite all of this my early childhood was fairly good and I had lots of friends.  When mum and dad eventually split up mum got with David and he at first became like a father to me.  Sadly, he also used drugs and got into a lot of debt.  This caused relationship problems and lots of arguments.  Dealers would knock on the door demanding money, there was always lots of swearing, shouting and violence. 

 

One day, Mum, me and my sister ended up in Clare House.  Clare House is a refuge in South Ribble that supports women experiencing Domestic Violence.  We lived there for a while.  I remember there just being lots of children there.  Staff were lovely (at the time I didn’t realise they worked here) always checking how you are and making you feel involved.  There was this one worker ‘Sarah’ with bright coloured hair who always played with me.  It was around this time I had to move schools again and I started to get bullied.  I was a very nervous child, short for my age, and I seemed to be a target. 

 

Finally, as a teenager, I managed to make a few friends and there was one particular friend who I got quite close to.  We would regularly spend time together at his house but the relationship quickly escalated and I was subjected to sexual abuse.  I reported it, but it didn’t go anywhere because it was my word against his.  Depressed, I couldn’t sleep for a long time.  I started seeking support on-line and was almost the target of a local murder.  Another kid, who wasn’t as lucky had met someone on-line and was stabbed in a horrific murder.  I had been talking to this same person online and had been one of his targets.  Warned by the police, this was my wakeup call and I quickly realised I had to grow up. 

 

When I left school I went to college and at this time moved in with my dad.  Dad however, couldn’t accept my sexuality and we ended up having a massive fall out.  Luckily for me though I have very supportive grandparents and I’m now living with them and I’m really happy.  I read a lot of books and have learned so much about myself.  I am really excited about the future.  I want to have a happy, successful life.  I know I will and I think I deserve a happy life and to be free.  Something I have learnt from all my negative experiences in life is that the bad is actually the good. The things that happened changed me yes, but they also gave me the strength to be the confident person I am today.

 

I recently went back to re-visit Clare House for a film I am making about my childhood.  Although I was only there for a few weeks as a child, I still remembered such a lot about my stay there.  I could tell you the exact layout of the building and the rooms there.  I am so grateful and thankful that Clare House was there for my family.  I was very sad to learn that ‘Sarah’ had passed away a year or so before my visit.  I will always remember her and be grateful for all the times she played with me.'