Young Person Case Study: Annabel’s Story

“RF is full of opportunities and inspiration and it's full of people that sort of think like you but also challenge you... It's just a way to express yourself, get more opportunities, be more out in the world, and explore and hear what other people from different cultural backgrounds and with different opinions say.” 

Annabel*, a young person in the first year of the RF Programme, reflects on her experience of RF so far and talks about the difference it has already made to her life.  

I joined RF because it's something that gets me out of my house because of my sickle cell. I got taken out of school when I was in nursery and I don't really leave the house because of my health. The most I'd get out of the house was for tuition. So, RF changed up my schedule a bit. 

I've got Sickle Cell Disease. I have blood transfusions every six weeks that help me get more energised. Once I have my transfusions, I'm more ready to get up and get out of the house. When I miss my transfusion appointments, I'm more prone to sickling and being in pain and I can't leave my bed most days. So, transfusions are really important to me.  

I would say RF is a social hub for young people dealing with health conditions and young people helping family members or other people with health conditions. It's a safe place to relax from the real world and just have all the stress fall off their shoulders and just a great place to be.  

I've taken part in a good amount of activities. I took part in the Miriam Waterman art project last summer. I found it very memorable because I'm not really the best at art, but I managed to make something that I'm really proud of and I have it hanging up in my room right now. I was really happy to participate in the project and I'm looking forward to doing it again this year.  

My favourite memory so far is when RF went to Gravity Max in Westfield for a Jack Petchey Award event. I really enjoyed that because I got to do go-karting, play a bunch of games in the arcade, and win prizes and give them back to RF. That's a really good memory. If I win a Jack Petchey award, I'd choose to go back to Gravity Max.  

I think a topic or session that resonated with me from a session that I went to was the Artivism workshop because we got to make these zines. It was actually my first time making one as well. I found it really fun, interesting, and creative. 

I've actually applied a couple different things I’ve learnt at RF to my daily life. From the healthy eating session, I've tried to incorporate more healthy fats like avocados and proteins like eggs, into my day-to-day life. Also, when we went to Clarksons, I used their advice on how to make our CVs stand out to use that template and put together my own CV! 

I feel like RF is less strict than most other social groups I've been to. There are not too many rules, other than the RF Values, which are important. Also, usually I'm really quiet around other people, but at RF there's not too much pressure to talk. So, I actually feel like that entices me to talk more. Before I joined RF, I was far more apprehensive to talk. Now it feels like I've come out of my shell a little bit. I'm more open to talking and I talk more to other people. 

I've made quite a few new friends at RF. I made friends with a young person because she reached out to me while I was in hospital and she checked on me every day, until I eventually got out of hospital. In general, it’s nice speaking to new people and seeing new people come into RF.  

The word that comes to mind when I think of RF is inclusive. RF is very inclusive. Everyone's welcome to join. There's no judgment. 

At RF, I've been more encouraged to continue my current hobbies. I was crocheting baby accessories for newborns in hospital and donating them. I kind of fell out of that, but then got more inspired again being at RF. Since I joined, I’ve just started making more stuff again. 

I feel really excited whenever I go to RF sessions because there's a little description of what's happening at the session, but you don't truly know what to expect until you're at the session. I feel like there's always like something more than just what was listed as what the session is.  

I feel like RF has helped me a lot. It’s helped me with my socialisation with others and making new friends. I feel like I can apply what I've learned at RF to when I join college. Now, I can properly talk to people, socialise, and just be able to make new friends far easier than before.  

I would say that anybody who is thinking about joining RF should definitely join because RF is full of opportunities and inspiration and it's full of people that sort of think like you but also challenge you and that can be like a perfect combination for really good close friends in the future.  

It's just a way to express yourself, get more opportunities, be more out in the world and explore and hear what other people from different cultural backgrounds and with different opinions say. 

I feel like I have like changed in my speech and how much I'm talking because I've realised that I really do stay quiet when I'm in new environments. I've never really warmed up to a place before. But I really do think that I've warmed up to RF. I used to get really anxious going to RF sessions, in the first maybe month that I joined RF. Now, that anxiousness has melted away and then I started warming up from there. 

*Name changed to protect anonymity