How did you join MVAP?
The Covid pandemic really affected my mental health and I had a breakdown. Before that, I had been studying for a PhD. After they found the right medication, I came out of the depression but then having to face things made my anxiety worse which was crippling. It was really difficult for me to even get up, wash, shave and go out. I joined a support group at Manchester Mind, attending once a week. They saw me when I was pretty bad and they saw me improve. After a while the group coordinator asked me if wanted to support the group as a volunteer. To push my anxiety a bit in a safe space. They said it can help to volunteer as getting involved in things can help to get you out of the house. When you’re depressed, things are overwhelming – like filling in forms. I had had some advice support to reassure me about forms I’d completed. It really helped and I felt that I also wanted to learn about being an advice volunteer.
How was the MVAP training?
I started the MVAP course in early 2024. It was a really big step for me to attend. I had walked there a couple of times before the course started, just so it wasn’t completely new to me. It’s anxiety inducing going into a new group, but it was good practice. In a limited time the course covered all the backbone of what you need to know for advice work and it’s important to get that right. The trainer really managed the involvement of people, it was very interactive. The group was very diverse which was awesome as you heard lots of different perspectives.
It was challenging but I did it fine. It’s like going to the gym – it’s not exactly fun while you’re doing it, but you feel great when you have. It was an intellectual and emotional journey.
I did my placement at Manchester Mind. That’s my safe place. It was terrifying and anxiety producing and absolutely great! It got easier as I learnt more about the benefits and other systems. When you get a result it’s awesome, a real sense of achievement.
What has happened since?
I have continued volunteering at Manchester Mind – I do a four hour advice session once a week and a group session once a week. I feel confident now that I can handle pretty much anything when I take people into the advice room – I can figure out what they need and handle their anxiety. And when I am unsure I have support from the supervisor in the next door room. It’s so much easier to do this for other people, I’m more motivated to achieve something than I would be for myself. Some people show gratitude and others don’t, that doesn’t matter to me. I’ve learnt a lot about people and how they handle things differently. I’ve been helped and now I help others. It’s a cascade as some of the advice makes a real difference in somebody’s life and that impacts somebody else, like their kids or wider family.
Now I’m pushing my anxiety – it’s not closing in on me. On the days I am volunteering I am easily up, showered and out. On other days, I still struggle to get presentable but I do get up and do things. My family don’t live nearby and I know they were pretty scared about what was going to happen with me. I have noticed that they feel safer about me now I’m volunteering.
I understand now that people seeking advice and needing benefits are not trying to pull one over on somebody. The need is there and there’s a reason why there’s a safety net for people. I’ve also changed my perspective on asylum seekers, and see that most of them are coming for a very good reason and have suffered enormously, beyond what you can really imagine. They are seeking safety. It’s been an eye opener for me, and I have also tried to educate my family in this – I’m making a bit of progress.
What next for you?
This has been a big change for me already. For now, I am going to keep doing what I am. My values seem to have changed. My PhD isn’t that important any more. Finding something that’s fulfilling is a lot more important than I had realised. I’m open to other opportunities in a way I haven’t been before, that’s a big shift. At some point, I want to be able to transfer away from my safe space. I want to expand and am interested in getting qualified to give immigration advice. Eventually I would like to work in the voluntary sector and have a future where I have to interact with people.
