Alex’s story

12-year-old Alex has been coming to Cholmondeley for eight years and attending Cholmondeley’s quarterly intermediate boys’ weekends for the past few years, to spend time with other boys his age.

These weekends are aimed at supporting boys between the ages of 10 and 13 to navigate their early teenage years. They include workshops focusing on managing emotions, staying safe online, and physical activities to push them outside their comfort zones.

At home, Alex’s mum lives with mental health issues intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic, leading Alex and his siblings to be mum’s companions rather than going to school.

After one of Alex’s recent stays, he realised how much of his own peer’s company he had been missing out on.

A week after his stay at Cholmondeley Alex’s mum called the centre to share how proud she was that he had enrolled himself at his local high school.

Now, Alex has been attending high school since August. This is a significant achievement that prompted Cholmondeley to reach out to one of its supporters, who supplied him with a new laptop to help with his education.

After visiting Cholmondeley, spending time with other boys, and the positive influence of Cholmondeley’s kaimahi (staff) Alex took it upon himself to make a significant change in his life.

*Alex’s name has been changed to protect his privacy

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