Having a baby at the start of a pandemic is not something I ever thought would happen to me. I’ve had the most surreal year of my life, as we all have, while watching my daughter grow from newborn to early walker.

We have had the heartbreak of explaining to my 2 year old he can’t see his grandparents and hug his god parents; my daughter is now 11 months old and still hasn’t been held by 2 of her grandparents. Life is more tumultuous than I would ever had imagined but despite it all I have managed to see the silver lining.

Before bubbles existed as we now know them I remember sitting on the floor playing with my son feeling grateful to be absorbed in the ‘bubble’ of ignorance to the crazy world happening outside.

While life has been tough, I have been so blessed to be generally sheltered from the impacts of Covid. While I was mildly concerned by food disappearing off shelves, participants of Upbeat Communities were genuinely worried how they would feed their families and get hold of necessities such as nappies as they didn’t have the extra income (or fridge space) to buy slightly more when available.

I watched from the sidelines as my colleagues mobilised to reach those in need in the city. Communications went out to our network of volunteers and churches to ask for donations of extra nappies and baby supplies and they partnered with other charities to provide fortnightly grocery deliveries to those most in need.

Despite being the go-to IT support in the past, when I returned to work after 9 months off I was pleasantly surprised to find my colleagues had quickly risen to the challenge of working and teaching online and I soon found myself with a role reversal asking for help on how to use all the new technologies. My colleagues have empowered our participants to learn how life works online and have moved the majority of our support onto online platforms.

While I look forward to my children hugging grandparents again, it reminds me that for many of our participants this isn’t going to be possible even when restrictions lift. The last year has been the toughest of our lives for most of us, but for our amazing participants this is a difficult year among the life of difficult years they have experienced.

Many have not seen family in longer than a year because they’ve had to leave them in another country, some having lost loved ones on their journey to safety. Isolation is difficult, but it has reminded me that for many refugees and asylum seekers this is a daily reality. There is often not a friendly knock on the door or message to ask for a walk or meeting up for coffee. Fear of leaving the house is a reality for many without a pandemic.

This is what makes me proud to work for Upbeat Communities. We provide friendship, reduce isolation, help children get an education, help adults learn to speak our language and function in our society. We provide hope for those who often don’t have much left.

I recently hit a low point and was reminded by a mental health professional that I needed to plan ahead to the future. Since this change of mindset I’ve felt so much more positive.

But when waiting on a decision as to whether you are allowed to stay in the UK, there is often no ability to plan ahead. Children can’t access schooling immediately, there is nothing to plan as you are not able to work, money provided is so basic it barely covers essentials. There’s no planning ahead for picnics, garden parties and holidays. Our current reality is going to be an ongoing reality for many.

I am looking forward to helping plan activities such as women’s wellbeing groups, baby showers, shared meals, English classes and coming alongside our amazing participants to help them build a life in this country. I am looking forward to my children dancing alongside our participants, our friends and neighbours, as we celebrate the diversity of culture they bring with them with their arrival and integration in the UK.

— Louise Mildenhall-Clarke, Finance Manager

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Finding Hope In Difficulty