Amy
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Amy had spent many years being the personal punchbag for
many of her family. There seemed to be no trigger for the violence,
but at home she had been beaten by her mum, stepdad, brother and
grandmother. One day, she plucked up the courage to tell her
father, but he turned on her too.
Hiding the bruises
Amy was convinced that she must have been to blame for the
beatings. Despite her body being covered in bruises, she had become
really good at hiding them at school. It was only when her sports
teacher saw the black and blue welts that her secret was revealed.
Amy was petrified what might happen now and in an act of
desperation, she took an overdose as a cry for help.
Safety at last
Thankfully, Social Services were able to remove Amy from
home. Her parents had refused to let her take any of her clothes,
so Centrepoint gave her some fresh, clean ones, as well as a warm,
safe room with a door that she could lock and feel safe. It was
just before Christmas, so Amy was able to enjoy a nice roast meal
with a proper air of celebration.
More than just a room
Throughout her troubles, Amy had been trying to keep up
with her studies. Having a quiet place to study meant that she
could focus on her GCSEs, while her Centrepoint key worker liaised
with Amy's form tutor to make sure that everything was okay at
school. Amy is also learning the basics of cooking and budgeting,
thanks to our help.
Finally able to smile
Amy has made lots of new friends at Centrepoint and always
seems to have a smile on her face. Good results in her GCSEs have
allowed her to start studying graphic design and she's really
looking forward to achieving the most from her life.