Yeah well I had a breakdown in 2001 and my key worker she recommended here. Well to cut a long story short my social worker wanted me to go to the one in [district] because that's the area I was living in and then my key worker says, “No a lot of black people down in [another district], I want her to go there.” So I got a referral, started, from 2001 I've been coming here.
And was that important to you to come somewhere where there will be other black people?
Yes my own people.
Why was that?
Who I relate to them. I'd just had a breakdown and it never really mattered to me, whether white or black, I'm not racist but when my key worker said to me here, oh, they used to have cooked lunch here, that was a part of me coming here. And it's straight from hospital you come here but I never come straight here, I had a relapse and then they got me in here, my doctor referred me here.
So you didn't mind whether there would be other…?
No whether [district] or…
No...
Mm.
Okay do they have particular services here, particular activities here?
Yes we had a lot and I was involved in a lot. Well, one of the workers, one of the staff left and I started doing the cooking, the man just asked me if I would cook, because I used to do lunch and everybody was excited and please at the different taste of Jamaican food. Yes, sorry, sorry you weren't around to have some of it. And then so after cooking, [local] College had a computer course here and I was, I was a part of that course and they had a van and they used to take us out on day trips. I enjoyed that, different places. And I got to know the staff and we all got along and the clients, we all got, and a women's group used to go out on trips or sometimes they'd stay in and watched a movie. The only time I didn't come down, I didn't join the Wednesday social space and I didn't come down on a Saturday because I had my housework to do. But I prefer here, always, although if I'd gone to the [district] group it would be walking distance from my house to the group. A lot of shops was there where I could do the shop or if I had more money I could, but after they brought me here I said here is near the town, I can easily run into town. |
