Ell suffers with Autism and ADHD, experiencing symptoms of psychosis alongside a rare disease that enables tumours to appear over her body and unfortunately, the lasting effects has resulted in Ell’s mental health declining and forcing her to take time off work.
Ell’s wife found it increasingly difficult to balance becoming a full time carer for Ell whilst working her job as a nurse, so sought support from Mind and The Community Hub to access their local community, meet people in a similar situation and improve their everyday life.
Initial meetings with their Engagement Worker were really positive. Ell was willing to try anything, to be pushed out of her comfort zone and to ease the burden she felt on her wife. After an in-depth discussion, Ell agreed to attend 2-3 BOOST Boxing sessions alongside her engagement worker, building confidence towards eventually attending independently.
After the first session, Ell’s confidence was sky-high and she immediately felt an improvement on her outlook. Two sessions in and she was walking with her ‘head held high’ – a stark contrast to the same person too anxious to travel anywhere in public alone. Three sessions in? Ell turned up on her own, carrying a ‘Thank you’ card for changing her life.
Steve, BOOST Boxing facilitator gave Ell a pair of boxing gloves for free to practice at home, an amazing gesture of support, confidence and kindness that Ell was looking for all along.
Ell said: “I use to say ‘I just don’t want to be here’. Now, I don’t feel like that at all. I feel empowered, I feel in control of my life, I feel invincible. It’s given me the confidence to go back to work”.
