[A] former Calderwood House resident is launching her own car valeting business, after turning her life around.
When Amy Fowler moved into Calderwood House she was homeless, penniless at an all-time low. Nine months later she has completely turned her life around.
Amy said: “Last year was the worst year of my life – this year is the best year of it.
“During 2016 things really came to a head, I had a breakdown and couldn’t cope. I turned to drugs, which made my mental health far worse, and I developed psychosis, a mental health problem which causes people to perceive things differently from those around them. My tenancy came to an end and I found myself homeless. I was at my lowest ebb.
“But thanks to Calderwood House, the homeless shelter in Egremont, I’ve managed to completely turn things around. I stopped taking drugs – that’s a condition of being a resident there – and got the help I needed to get healthy. I’ve been drug free ever since.
“From the first day I moved into Calderwood I felt safe again. They’ve given me the support to turn my life around”.
Amy has also moved into her own place, and is hoping her story will inspire others.
“I was in a bad place, I didn’t believe I could turn things around but I knew I had to try – the guys at Calderwood believed in me and, in nine months, my whole world has been transformed. If I can do it, so can anyone.”
Rachel Holliday, founder of Calderwood House, said: “I believe that anyone can achieve anything if they are given a chance. Amy is a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication. I’m so proud of her and, most importantly, she’s proud of herself.
“We were able to put her in touch with people like Luke Richardson, who has helped build her website and social media pages, and Ross, North Press, at Cleator Moor, who’ve helped with her leaflets and business cards. Perhaps most importantly, we were able to support her to produce a business plan with funding from the Big Lottery People’s Project, which has helped her to get her business started. People often need a hand—up, rather than a hand-out, and I have no doubt that Amy will make the most of this opportunity.”
Amy added: “I’m really excited. This has really been a team effort and it wouldn’t have been possible without Calderwood House. They gave me the opportunity and the steps to help me change my life. They saw my potential and thanks to them I’m living in my own home and starting of my own business after months of preparation and hard work.”
Amy is taking bookings for interior car valeting only which includes deep cleans such as carpets and upholstery. Amy will be at Calderwood House Egremont every Saturday and Sunday 10-4. Days through the week are by appointment only, please call Amy on 0739183826 or find AmyzAutoz on Facebook in order to make an appointment.
