When I think back on my journey through adult education, I remember a time when I was at my lowest. I was a stay-at-home mother struggling with postnatal depression and bereavement, and I found it difficult to access the help and support I needed through the health service. I wanted something that would give me a reason to get up and get out of the house, so I looked into training classes at my local women’s centre.
This turned out to be life-changing. Each course I joined came with free childcare for my son, who was only three at the time. This meant I didn’t have to worry about where he would go or how I could manage. I began signing up for different programmes, including Mental Health First Aid, Emergency Paediatric First Aid, and a Classroom Assistant course. These gave me skills, confidence, and direction, as I’ve always wanted to work as a classroom assistant in either a primary or secondary school.
One particularly impactful programme was Discover You NI, a self-help training course. It helped me rebuild my confidence, reconnect with myself, and achieve a National Vocational Qualification in Discover You NI. From there, I moved on to the MAS Project (Maternal Advocacy and Support), a group supporting mums with perinatal mental health illness. I spent a year in the project, where I completed my NVQ in Advocacy and Support Training, shared my story on a podcast and in a local newspaper, and co-designed a booklet for the Belfast Trust.
Through this, I was invited to volunteer as a group leader in the MAS Project, where I now support other mums to find themselves again through education, training, and peer support. Alongside this, I began counselling training—first an introduction, then a full Level 2 in Counselling (completed in March 2025), and I’ll be starting my Level 3 Counselling course in September 2025.
Community education has truly been a pillar in my life over the last two years. It has helped me become a stronger, more confident version of myself. I am now helping and supporting other women, and I have even been invited to speak at events about the benefits of adult learning.
