Asking for help can often feel daunting, but once you do, it can trigger a ripple effect and take you places you never thought possible before. This is precisely what happened to me.
My journey with Advice Mid Wales (AMW) began in the lates 90s, during a particularly difficult period in my life. Ongoing health issues had made it hard for me to work, which in turn placed increasing pressure on my finances. I was overwhelmed, unsure of what support I might be entitled to, and reluctant to ask for help. Part pride, part fear, and part not knowing where to turn.
It was my aunty, who was volunteering with AMW at the time, who gently encouraged me to take that first step. With her support, I eventually found the courage to reach out.
AMW arranged for an adviser to visit me at home. That small gesture, coming out to meet me where I felt most comfortable, made all the difference. With their support, I successfully applied for Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and for the first time in a long time, I felt some control return, not just over my finances, but over my health and my life as a whole.
Fast forward 13 years, feeling a hunger to gain experience and confidence, I turned to AMW again, this time to join the team. I was welcomed with open arms and trained in general advice, becoming a volunteer home-visiting adviser.
Once my son was in school full time, I increased my involvement by volunteering an additional two days a week as a general adviser. With AMW’s support, I also started training as a debt adviser, eventually obtaining DRO Intermediary status. When funding became available in 2016, I was appointed as a part-time paid adviser. If you had told me I would end up here 17 years after that first AMW visit, I would not have believed you.
Today, I feel my work offers an invaluable service to the community. To give you some figures, my advice and representation alone has accounted for over £300,000 of positive financial outcomes gained on behalf of clients in the last twelve-months – that’s 38% of AMW total agency outcomes. Thanks to the knowledge and confidence I have gained through AMW, I now also work two days a week in a clerical role within the NHS.
My story is a clear example of the life changing effects that advice provision and specialised training can have not only for an individual, but for the wider community. It further highlights the importance of investment in volunteer and staff development, and how a sector-led workforce strategy can make sure that the right people reach the front line and stay there.
