She’s always been so adaptive, I’m so proud of her. We’re very close and face each challenge together but we were both exhausted at that point. That’s when my colleague recommended reaching out to the Charity for Civil Servants.
Patricia's story
Patricia and her daughter needed financial support when they were struggling to start their next chapter – they turned to their community for help.
Patricia and her daughter Aoifè are very close. They’ve experienced huge life changes together, not knowing they were each other’s rock.
Following a relationship breakdown, Patricia moved out of a family home with her daughter hoping to start a new chapter. At just nine years old, Aoifè wasn’t aware of what was going on, but was happy to be on a new adventure with her mum.
Facing challenges together
Patricia tried to put on a brave face but felt incredibly stressed. Moving from place to place and financially struggling, they eventually found the right spot but couldn’t afford any furniture. As they slept in sleeping bags on hard floors night after night, they were also hit by another bombshell. It was around the same time that Aoifè was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Financial support
Patricia gave us a call and was provided the headspace to talk about her situation. We found that we were able to pay towards essential household items, enabling Patricia and Aoifè to finally make their house a home.
I remember Aoifè jumping up and down shouting ‘Wow!’ when her bed arrived, bless her. I told her that we have our very own charity who wanted to help us. We’ve both never forgotten that day.
The support I received during quite a stressful time, both for myself and my daughter, greatly helped ease the strain I was under – having moved into a new home and basically starting from scratch, in the couple of months leading up to Christmas (which is demanding in itself).
We were also able to help when Patricia’s fridge broke down some time later. It’s essential for insulin to be stored in cold temperatures so when Patricia couldn’t afford a new one, she reached out to her community in her time of need.
I was really panicking because I needed to keep the insulin safe for Aoifè. So when the Charity said they could help me buy a new one, they had essentially helped me keep my daughter safe. It means a lot to both of us.
Patricia knows why donating to the Charity for Civil Servants is so important. She hopes that, by sharing her story, civil servants are able to see the difference it makes.
It’s important for people who donate to see real life stories. To know who they’re helping and that their donations are making a difference. That sometimes people just like themselves, even those in employment, occasionally have unexpected circumstances arise and need someone to turn to.
I feel being part of the Civil Service is like belonging to a family. In my experience, I’ve always found that we don’t hesitate to help those in need. Even though I’ve been on the receiving end from the Charity, I’m now able to give back, contributing monthly.
All these years later, Aoifè is now a successful young woman who’s followed in her mum’s footsteps. After seeing how proud her mum is to be a civil servant, she’s doing her own work experience in the Civil Service as part of her university degree.
Aoifè says
My mum’s my best friend, she’s my role model… and to have our own charity, I think that’s an amazing thing, especially for families like me and mum. I was only a kid when you helped us but I know it made a huge difference to our lives.
Get involved
If you’re a civil servant facing a tough time – find out how we can help you.
Support people like Patricia by making a single or regular donation, leaving a gift in your Will or by fundraising for us. With you alongside us, we can do even more to support civil servants.
