Miriam experienced mental health issues throughout her life, the pandemic compounded her issues even further. When lockdown was announced last March, Miriam was one of several people who Jami quickly identified being extremely vulnerable to isolation. These people received regular meal deliveries which also meant we could have a safe doorstep chat and check-in. These regular check-ins gave us the opportunity to identify what else we needed to do to support Miriam and many others in a similar situation.

Jami provided Miriam with a tablet and online one-to-one support to get up and running. This became a lifeline to Miriam during the various lockdowns, and with encouragement, she joined our virtual support programme and was able to maintain friendships to relieve her isolation as well as independence by organising her own shopping deliveries.

While the pain of past trauma will never completely disappear, with Jami’s support Miriam is now a confident, outgoing individual able to manage her illness. A world away from the person who came to Jami a decade ago.