Tom’s Story

20th November 2021

When COVID hit in 2019 I was sent home from my job in retail to my small studio flat in London to isolate with my partner. It was the start of a difficult time for so many people but at the start, for me it was relatively enjoyable. The time away from normal life was in many ways a relief but as it went on I started to realise my mental health was suffering. Not only did I realise it was bad during the pandemic, but I started to understand how much I had suffered in the past. My inability to talk to others about how I was feeling was having a serious effect.

When I was eventually made redundant after months of furlough, I was devastated. I felt like a failure and losing my job meant that myself and my partner had to move back to my family home in Thanet. It took me over 8 months to find a new job, to find someone to talk to in the form of a counsellor and for us finally to have our own place again.

I found out about HITG through Porchlight’s Livewell Kent Programme

A lot has happened since then, I joined Head in The Game in October 2021 after searching for a team to join where I would be welcomed. But what I have found is more than that, it’s also a space where it’s okay to have a bad day. More recently, I have unfortunately lost my job again but this time it’s not so devastating. I know I have a routine now, and there’s always playing football on Tuesday night to look forward to.