Young women's stories

At YWCA we work with thousands of girls and young women every year. We'd like you to meet a few of them:

Mildred's story

After moving to a new school, Mildred became a bully to combat having been a victim of bullies. She's not proud of it.

At YWCA Dagenham she is safe from bullying and is treated fairly, with the respect she deserves.

 Read Mildred's story here.

Meet Louise

Louise from Llanelli in south Wales, is 23 and the mother of four children. She was a rebellious teenager and expelled from school but found purpose and determination to get her life back on track by becoming a mum.

She says: "I was very rebellious. I was with the wrong crowd smoking and drinking at weekends and things."

 Read Louise’s story here.

Meet Naomi

Naomi from Doncaster is now 21 but she had a hard time at school. “For me school was acting desperate, trying to fit in. Getting really bullied. I had such a crap time.” She tried to fit in by hanging out with the ‘hard or popular crews’ as she puts it. But they knew she was putting on an act which made the bullying even worse. She left school with no qualifications and no idea of what she wanted to do with her life.

Things have changed since then.

 Read Naomi's story here.

Meet Donna

Donna is 16 and from Kirkby on Merseyside. She stopped going to school last year because she felt ignored and so became more and more detached from the lessons.

She says: “I never got any attention from the teachers and I couldn’t be bothered. I used to get into trouble messing around in lessons and get sent out. I didn’t think about my qualifications or my future at all.”

YWCA gives her all the attention she needs.

 Read Donna’s story here.

Meet Sally

Sally is in her early twenties and goes to YWCA Northampton. Likeable and intelligent, it’s hard to believe that from the age of 13, for seven years, Sally was into drugs and was filled with self-loathing.

“I was sleeping with men for money for drugs. The way I felt inside, I was pure scum. I wasn’t worthy of breathing the same air as people.”

 Read Sally’s story here.

Meet Emma

Emma has been coming to YWCA Wolverhampton since she was 10. She is now 18, has passed her A-levels and won herself a place at university. It could have so easily been very different.

She says: "Realistically I would have been in so much trouble. I used to be one of them just walking round doing nothing, smoking on the fields."

 Read Emma’s story here.

Meet Carly

Carly, 17, goes to YWCA in West Kent. She says: “I was so insecure I was looking for someone to love me."

"Now I’ve got a better outlook on what I want for my future. I want to work in a garage surrounded by cars, or have my own garage. I want to support my daughter and for everyone to look at me and say I can’t believe she’s made it!”

 Read Carly's story here.

Hazel's story

Hazel goes to YWCA in West Kent. When she was 15 she was expelled from two schools and her future looked bleak. She turned to drink and drugs.
"You think it's the norm. You ain't got school, you ain't got hobbies."

Look at her now! She enrolled on a painting and decorating course and is working hard to make herself a brighter future.

 Read Hazel's story here.

Amanda's story

Amanda is pregnant with her first child. She goes to  YWCA London West for support and friendship.

 Read Amanda's story here.