Real, Raw and Rare – Gaia’s story
Born from real experiences of adversity, recovery, and resilience, it shares the voices of parents who have walked through some of the toughest challenges life can throw at you — from homelessness and addiction to isolation and being misunderstood by the very systems meant to help. It's about finding your feet, your voice, and your people. At the heart of it all is PAN Cymru — a community where parents come together to collaborate, connect, and advocate for real change. Through honest stories, reflections, and insights, this blog sheds light on the lived realities behind the headlines, the labels, and the judgments. It shows what’s possible when people are given the space to be heard, supported, and empowered. Led by lived experience, this blog celebrates growth, friendship, strength, and the belief that families can thrive when we work together with compassion and understanding.
4/13/20253 min read
Background and getting involved with PAN.
I found out I was 24 weeks pregnant in October 2017. I was homeless, and in the midst of addiction. The whole world as I knew it had to change. I didn’t have friends. My support system was professionals and my mum.
I went from having associates and leading a chaotic life to having 7-8 different professionals – tenancy support, CDAT, social worker, CPN, housing etc – involved in my life, with no social contact, apart from with my workers. It was an isolating and lonely time.
That’s how I met IFSS worker Anna. I was involved in social services with a new baby on the way, with less than 12 weeks before I gave birth. When my son was little, me and Anna tried to set up peer mentoring, but it didn’t go anywhere. In August 2020, just after I’d had my daughter, I bumped into Anna and joined PAN. I’ve been with PAN since then. I am the longest standing parent member and now the co-chair of the Board of Directors.
Changes as a result of your involvement with PAN.
There have only been positive changes since being involved with PAN.
I’ve grown in confidence and become part of a community. I’ve built friendships and it's a sense of giving back and helping others. Social workers are actually acknowledging that there needs to be a change, and that's massive, because obviously we're on the way to getting things where they need to be, for things to be addressed. We are building bridges and making connections with people that want to make a change.
I’ve gained lots of knowledge and wisdom from people’s experiences and from my own experience. And I think that PAN is pushing forward in the right direction. We’ve been through some difficult times, I don’t necessarily see it as bad times - navigating collaboration, as that is new for all of us. Things needed to change, for us to become a CIC. We reflected and have come back stronger. We are now proudly PAN Cymru CIC, Collaborating, Connecting, Advocating.
The most significant change
Of all the changes, the most significant for me, is my confidence because I wouldn't be Gaia without my confidence, I wouldn't be the Gaia stood here. I've learned about myself, the way the system works and just want to really make positive changes and build bridges between parents and social workers. Having friendships and being part of something. The Gaia that joined PAN in 2020 isn’t the same person today. I feel like I have grown with PAN. It takes me out of my comfort zone in a positive way. I feel that PAN has helped build me. And I’ve helped to build PAN.
What it was like before, what it's like now and what brought about the change?
Before I was involved in PAN, I didn’t really have friends. I had a few associates. After I found out I was pregnant, I kept myself to myself because the lifestyle I that I lived wasn’t appropriate or safe for a child. I wasn’t the person I am today.
Everyone was watching and judging me from my past, saying I would never change. And now I'm stood here. I know that I'm a great mum to a 7-year-old and a 4 ½ year old, 7 ½ years into recovery.
I am part of a network influencing positive change.
I'm surrounded by unbelievable people with some amazing qualities as human beings, and I'm lucky to call them friends and family and I get to work alongside them.
I believe that together we are building bridges and moving forward. Together, we are making changes to help keep families together, to build better relationships between parents and professionals and to promote understanding of what works to help families get through tough times.