The Feel Good Factory
37-year-old mother of two Maria Phipps from Mountain Ash, South Wales, suffered for many years with depression, living on Incapacity Benefit. Joining The Feel Good Factory’s Parent and Toddler Group turned her life around.
Maria said: "I started going to the Parent and Toddler group in The Feel Good Factory when my youngest child was one. I had little confidence and few friends, having been out of work and suffering from health problems for years.
"The play workers welcomed and involved me, and I gradually regained my confidence, increased my social circle and started attending numerous courses that the Feel Good Factory provided."
Slowly her depression lifted, and Maria became confident enough in her own ability to undertake a range of formal and informal training.
Maria said: "Since becoming involved with The Feel Good Factory I have done a range of courses, including a computer course, paediatric first aid, sign language and numerous others involving cookery and nutrition, giving me the knowledge and confidence to get a job that I love doing.
"These courses were invaluable in giving me opportunities to return back to work. It is only thanks to The Feel Good Factory that I was given the chance to achieve this."
"These courses and volunteering for The Feel Good Factory helped my knowledge and confidence grow and grow. All this culminated in me completing a Cache Level 3 diploma in playgroup practice recently, which was provided by the Feel Good Factory, and after years of not working I was proud to get a job in the local community as a play worker for The Feel Good Factory."
Maria signed herself off benefits and worked first as a one-to-one special needs support worker at the local infants school, now as a play worker at the Growing Together Flying Start playgroup in Mountain Ash. She still finds time to attend the Parent and Toddler Group to support and encourage other local parents.
She said: "I can truly say that this project has changed my life and, in turn, my children’s lives, by giving me inner confidence, increased self esteem and enhanced knowledge and skills, but most of all the feeling of being part of something where people really care for me."
The Feel Good Factory has reached the finals of The National Lottery Awards and if you want them to win, then here's how to vote:
- You can go online to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards under Best Health Project
or
- Call 0844 686 6507.
Voting closes at midday on Friday 14th August.