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A Beneficiary’s Story My family moved to Loughborough very shortly after moving to England. My parents decided to move here after visiting some family members here and Mum and Dad thought the local residents were all ‘very nice’. Very soon after we arrived, my dad became very ill, which left my Mum, (who didn’t speak or understand English) to deal with everything, taking care of us, Dad, bills etc. My Dad had to spend a lot of time in hospital and we were on very limited income, so Mum relied on ‘The Garden’ for advice on the ‘system’, as everything was very new and unfamiliar to her. I remember walking with my Mum to the office on many occasions carrying letters and various forms with us that needed to be translated and filled in. The staff were always very friendly, helpful and
kind to us. Daphne Beale came to visit us at home to advise us on how to keep the house warm and I can recall her telling Mum that keeping the curtains closed sometimes would help keep the heat in. When I was about 6 years old, the staff helped my parents apply for a grant which allowed them to have some essential work done to our house. I was so excited to finally have radiators and carpets in our home. After my father died, mum turned to ‘The Garden’ again for help, and she was supported through a very difficult and confusing time for us all.
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I really cannot thank the organisation enough for everything it has done for my family. Yasmin
