Sherri’s Story: A journey towards stability

Sherri^† has been part of our Champions Support Network programme for just over a year, she was referred to us by Social Services to help her navigate some complex problems. As a single mother of four young children, her eldest is only 10 years old, Sherri’s life has not been easy.

When we first met, Sherri was living in a hostel that had a severe cockroach infestation. She was struggling to manage everyday tasks like going to the bathroom, because she believed this could lead to penalties from Social Services for leaving her children unattended, affecting her housing prospects. Understandably, this was incredibly overwhelming for Sherri. She broke down in tears during our first conversation. When I asked about the children’s father, Sherri simply said, “He’s not around.” I decided to wait until she felt comfortable enough to start sharing more about her situation.

Over time, Sherri did open up about her journey and how she and her husband and two kids arrived in the UK as refugees. She was relieved to be living in a safer environment as they fled a country in civil war.  They settled into their new life and had two more children, but cracks soon started to show. Her husband spent a lot of time away from the family, and their relationship became strained, mainly due to financial struggles. Sherri felt isolated and unsupported, especially after her father’s passing, which led to her feeling increasingly trapped.

Her husband’s controlling behaviour, particularly around money, made things worse. He even tried to misuse vouchers meant for the children. Eventually, the situation turned violent, and Sherri made the brave decision to separate from him. She hasn’t heard from him since and worries about how this absence might affect the children.

Sherri was referred to our programme by another organisation because of my personal experience as a single mother. Although I understood some of her struggles, I was still taken aback by the number of challenges she was facing. The first issue we tackled was securing a better room at the hostel. Despite our efforts, housing support was slow to act, but I encouraged her to be patient.

Sherri was too overwhelmed to join our coffee mornings at first. She lacked confidence in her English, hadn’t socialised in a long time, and was busy managing her children and the endless issues piling up. Her children, however, were thriving at school. Once, when visiting the family, I was so moved when I saw them praying together for help for their mother. It was a reminder of how resilient and kind they were, despite their difficult circumstances.

As we built trust, Sherri began to open up further. It was clear she needed a safe space to share her experiences, and I was glad to be there for her. Slowly, things began to improve. Eventually, the housing department found a flat for Sherri and her children—a home large enough for the family and close to the children’s school. Sherri was overjoyed, and for the first time in years, they felt settled.