The Champions Support Network (CSN) has been supporting parents and carers with raising young people in Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and Redbridge since 2020. Thanks to funding from London’s Violence Reduction Unit, the CSN trains peer mentors from the community to support other parents, arranges a range of activities to help families build connection and friendship, and delivers a programme of training to help them deliver with crucial issues they may encounter.
When I first met Ashley, she was an unhappy single mum caring for her young daughter. She was isolated and unsure where to turn. The challenges she faced left her without confidence, and she often described feeling invisible. With her child, she said she was on her own and, at times, it felt as though she didn’t have a voice.
Ashley joined the Champions Support Network because she wanted a safe space. She longed to be listened to without judgment and yearned to know she was not alone.
As her mentor, I was able to walk alongside Ashley, guiding her through some of the most difficult parts of her journey.
One-to-one mentoring gave her someone to talk to, someone who understood. Together, we worked through the challenges she faced, including with housing and her daughter’s schooling, and helped her find the right services to support her family.
Workshops and training helped Ashley rebuild her confidence. She learnt how to manage stress, to communicate more openly, and to care for her own wellbeing as well as her daughter’s. These sessions reminded her that asking for help is not weakness, but a sign of strength.
Regular meet ups with other parents gave her a sense of belonging. She found comfort in knowing others were experiencing the same struggles. She built friendships, shared stories, and no longer felt so alone.
Family activities offered opportunities that Ashley could not have managed on her own. Trips and events gave her and daughter the chance to laugh, to play, and to make friends.
The difference it made
Over time, I’ve watched Ashley grow in strength. She began to find her voice , speaking up for her daughter and advocating for her at school. She became more confident and more hopeful about the future.
Her daughter joined a dance class and started to express herself in positive ways. She smiles more, talks about her future, and no longer feels defined by the trauma she experienced.
Looking forward
Ashley tells me she now feels hopeful. She believes she can cope and knows she has a support network she can rely on. Most of all, she has rediscovered her own strength.
Ashley has said that one day she would like to become a Champion Peer Mentor herself, so that she can help other parents in the way she was helped. Her journey shows how powerful it can be when families are given the support, space and encouragement they need to find their way forward.