Age : 24

Number of children : 2

Names and ages of children : Daniel age 3, Megan age 1

 
I found out about the project from my Health Visitor and I was very interested so I contacted the Martin Centre on the Ballygomartin Road. They sent a project worker out to give me more information. On their first visit I was really nervous: I didn't really know what to expect, but she was really nice and easy to talk to.

I found the Project very helpful because I am a single parent and the only company I really had was my children and I ended up feeling very isolated, which is why I used to looked forward to my project worker's visits. At this time my daughter Megan was ill and was in and out of hospital a lot. My project worker was very supportive and provided transport for me to get to and from hospital for which I was very grateful.

The Early Years Project also got me out of the house more often and helped me to make more friends. They organised a lot of day trips, information and fun days. Every Friday morning they organised for a V.S.B. Playbus to come into the area, a cross community event with people from the Greater Shankill area, and people from the Springfield area coming together.

On the Playbus, which sits at the bottom of Lanark Way, there are lots of games and toys for the children and quizzes for the parents. This also helped my children interact with other children of the same age group, and to become less dependent on me and enjoy playing with the other children.

I have been with the Project over a year now. I would definitely recommend any parent, male or female, to get involved in the project. The project workers are just like close friends who are there for help and support when you need it.

Angela Kane ( young mother )