My name is Jacqui O’Neill, I have been on the Cedar Floating Support service since August 2020. When I first came on to the service, I was extremely unwell both mentally and physically due to my recent disability and early retirement from work. I was overwhelmed with things I needed to do and I didn’t know where to start. 

Now, nearly 2 years on I am a very different person because of the help and support that Cedar Floating Support, Older People (55+) Service has provided. They supported me with my benefits and referred me to an Advice Agency to help me with filling in the forms. Floating Support also supported me to register with the Housing Executive, as my landlord had decided he was not renewing the tenancy contract and helped me to look for homes locally.

The Floating Support, Older People (55+) Service assisted me with getting telephone numbers for local cleaning businesses, to allow me to take the pressure of my partner. I have also been able to register with my local college and I have been completing cooking courses, which I love and want to continue.  I have also been assisted by my Floating Support Worker to look for volunteering roles within my local community and am now volunteering one day a week in a small charity shop. 

This was all done with no obligation, my Support Worker always respected my choice and researched what I would like to do and how to do it; if I chose not to do it in the end that was fine too, but I have the information for the future.