Erin's story

"The only place I have ever felt safe and accepted."

I can honestly say that apart from home this is the only place I have ever felt safe and accepted.

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I've been to a fair few schools and I haven't ever felt like this:  welcome and not afraid of like … oh God, what? I'm going to get a detention? The kids are going to bully me?   Just being excluded was a big one. Excluded by the kids because I’m autistic?   Even when I was young, kids would notice and they wouldn't want to talk to me or play with me because they'd think I was a bit weird. Which isn't very nice, but children are very unkind.

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I like working with the animals.  I find I prefer the animals over people, which is a bit antisocial. But animals don't maliciously hurt you. If they bite you, it’s because they're anxious or scared.   I can sort of connect better with animals in a way I don't know how to explain.

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"I feel like I’ve got a purpose again."

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It's funny because normally I'm kind of lazy, just sat on my computer most of the time.  But here I actually like getting out and doing stuff and I feel good for it.

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I've got a lot more confidence since coming here. I can actually talk to people I don't really know well;  and I'm doing better: I got 100% on the last unit.  I feel like I've got a purpose again – I don't feel like I'm just waiting for something to happen.

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What next, after Longlands?  I've got half a mind to say I'd like to volunteer, maybe get a job here. Because this place has done a lot for me in a short space of time.