Grace
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Grace shared a room at home with her brother, until she
reached an age where her parents felt it was inappropriate. For
three years, she moved in with her grandmother and things seemed
OK, but then her mother told Grace that she didn't want her back at
home ever again. Grace's parents split up, so when her father went
on holiday to Morocco she looked forward to some family time with
him.
Sexual abuse
Grace's father had a very different holiday in mind. He
had agreed with his brother and step-brother that they could
sexually abuse her. It was six weeks of hell. Soon after her return
home, Grace's grandmother died. She was told that she had to move
out, so Grace started to stay at friends' houses or, when she
couldn't find anywhere safer, sleep in bus shelters. She was
becoming desperate.
Not feeling scared
Fortunately, Grace was referred to Centrepoint. Her first
reaction to seeing a warm, safe room with a comfortable bed was to
cry - for the first time in years, she didn't feel scared. Grace
started to meet other young people with similar stories to hers and
enjoyed having someone to talk to.
More than just a room
Grace has developed a good relationship with the staff at
Centrepoint, especially her learning worker, who has involved her
in a number of education workshops. In addition to her studies,
Grace is learning basic life skills such as budgeting, paying bills
and cooking.
Looking forward to the future
Grace is working hard to get into college full-time, with
her ambition being to set up her own nursery and have her own place
to live. She hopes to be completely self-sufficient this time next
year.