When I joined Well Grounded in the summer of 2025, I was nervous at the beginning but really eager to learn about coffee after being long term unemployed, and overcoming challenges with my mental health. My life from there changed, from learning new skills in the Academy and at my work experience with BaxterStorey, to speaking about my experiences at my graduation at UBS. After a brief period spent looking for a new role, I started with Ozone at the Santander work cafe. I am

Before I met Well Grounded, I was a full time parent to two children, and we had two dogs. We lived overseas for a while for my husband’s job before returning to the UK in 2015, choosing Bristol for a fresh start. My children were 11 and 8, and my priority was to support them as they settled into their new life. Well Grounded came at a time of my life in a way I can only describe as god-sent. I had lost my confidence and hope in finding employment and my fitness had deteriora

I spent much of my childhood as a young carer for my parents, who both suffer from severe mental health issues. As a result, I had little aspiration for academia or my future. I was too aware of life’s negativities to focus on school or a career. In 2018, at rock bottom after being discharged from an inpatient mental health facility, I realised that if I didn’t seek a positive future, I likely wouldn’t have one at all. I had left college and felt completely lost. Somehow, Wel