Jamie’s story
Jamie is currently out of work, having been made redundant twice. He has also been
battling depression. He says that volunteering with Swingbridge is playing a big
part in restoring him to health. He is happy to talk about his nervous breakdown
because he hopes it sends out an encouraging message to other people in the same
situation.
“If we can promote mental illness in a positive way as something you can beat by
doing the likes of volunteering with Swingbridge, then that is good.
I heard about Swingbridge through the Woking volunteer bureau. I was looking to get
back into the work environment and the work routine and Swingbridge sounded ideal,
outdoors and working in a team. The team work is fantastic and I have learnt lots
of skills and lots of stuff about myself. It is really good for people who are struggling
with confidence and thinking about getting back into work.
“Swingbridge is contributing massively to my recovery. It gets you out of the house,
into the fresh air, it boosts your confidence and it gets you talking to people and
that’s really important because with mental illness you withdraw into yourself.
“There are still days when I have to force myself to get out of bed and off to Swingbridge
but afterwards it’s like having a reward because you know you have achieved something.
You go home and you feel you have a real reason to have a bath and you’ve earned
your dinner!”
