“Since joining Real Lives I feel a lot better, I can do things I couldn’t do before. I have been going to college which was a goal of mine and my PAL has helped me to do this. I get along with my PAL as we have stuff in common. I think it’s a flexible service that works around my needs.”

“I have changed since being with this service. I am much happier. Having a PAL has motivated me to do things & get out the flat. Attending cooking group at Real Lives has helped me learn how to cook healthier food for myself, make friends and socialise. I attended a trip to galleries of justice, it was brilliant and educating.”

“My time at Real Lives has been nurturing & helped me with my recovery. The service has helped me achieve my goals especially getting out the house. Now I attend piano and ice skating lessons which helps with my self-esteem. Real Lives has helped me gain confidence in myself and relieve anxieties that are detrimental to my health.”

“All my PALs have been really nice, so have all the team. I feel better every day. I’ve done that much, I don’t believe it’. All my PALS give me strength, support me and cheer me up. I’ve stayed well for a long time thanks for Real Lives.”

“Real Lives got me out in the community and encouraged my hobby of cooking with fresh produce. Spending more time to cook healthier meals than buying fast food. Real Lives gave me a space to exhibit my art work and supported me in my practice.”

“Art group is really good, it brings out my creativity and helps me learn new skills. I get to know different people in a relaxed environment. We all have a laugh and get to do group projects which I like.”

“Real Lives have helped me so much in such a short time. They are a great team who make you feel welcome from day one of working with them. Poppy along with other workers has helped me and connected with me in a way that no previous support workers have been able to do and I am very grateful for this. I have improved so much in myself and gained a lot of confidence since working with the service, they're a brilliant team who go out of the way to help and support you :) ”

“Thank you for supporting me for 2 1/2 years knowing that you saw me at my worst when I really didn't believe in myself and I felt completely broken by everything that happened in my life and you saw me - you saw beyond that and I felt normal - more able - more worthwhile as a result. THANK YOU - you have had faith in me - that has been a big factor in helping me get to this point - and I will always be grateful to you.”

“After working with me intensely around getting my needs met and the proper assessments for my health and my care package, I want to say a big thank you to Poppy for all her hard work and helping me get my voice heard.”

“From the outset of our work together Naomi has been skilled in striking the balance of being professional and clearly managing my expectations without falsely raising my hopes, whilst also being a warm and resourceful person who repeatedly inspires confidence and motivates me to achieve goals that I thought were beyond my reach.”

“I feel that my PAL has shown, empathy, care, concern, interest, humour, warmth and support during our working relationship. These are qualities that I now expect from all of my future relationships, which is something that I never expected to arise from our work together.”

“I find my PAL very motivating, useful with forms, phone calls and appointments. Very useful when it comes to supporting me to manage my medication. It's motivating to have PALS who are interested in the same things as me and so enthusiastic. I do cook for myself but I make more effort because we're sharing, I usually wouldn’t have anyone to eat with which reduced my motivation to cook and eat. I almost certainly wouldn't cook the variety of recipes I do now. I feel inspired. When I left hospital, I'd leave vital ingredients out and found recipes hard to follow but I've used cooking to help me try to recover some of my concentration and comprehension with the help of my PALs.”

“My experience with Real Lives has been extremely positive. I've always had good support with all the PALs, they're very motivating. I've worked with a variety of PALs and they've all been excellent, they give excellent care and I can really rely on them. I got quite unwell last year and my PALs were absolutely fantastic. Fay took me to hospital to get me assessed, even though it wasn't her working day/time. She stayed at the hospital with me until my partner came. My PALs visited me at hospital and were brilliant and positive. They made it an easy transition coming out of hospital. I enjoy going for walks with my PALs. I feel lucky with my PALS, they're all easy to talk to and are compassionate. We go to the gym, shopping, things I wouldn't do on my own. My PALs have never refused to do anything I've wanted to do. Real Lives are a fantastic company, a real positive experience.”

“You’re very kind and professional, you’re good.”

“I am so grateful to Real Lives for supporting me to get rehoused after a lengthy and unpleasant eviction process. I would not be here if it wasn’t for them helpful me through every step of the way, and I do not say that lightly. My new home is so much better for me physically and mentally and its really turned my life around, it is also closer to Crocus Café which is an important part of my community. It really is beyond my wildest dreams and I want to say a massive thank you to all at real lives.”

“I really enjoy working for Real Lives and feel valued as a PAL. Wellbeing is at the centre of the organisation, both for service users and PALS. Care is taken to find good matches between service users and PALS, so positive relationships can build and develop. I look forward to going to work, I enjoy the variety, no two days are the same and I feel it is rewarding and worthwhile, making a real difference to people's quality of life.”

“I have been working with Liz for 2 years now. Liz is extremely approachable and always open to what we do together and what would be useful, which varies as I have a changeable mood. She also gently encourages me to get out or complete tasks I would usually avoid if I was on my own or without support. She is patent, friendly and warm and I'm lucky to be supported by her.”

“Thank you Emma. I don’t think you realise how much you do help me in my recovery journey, and help me keep hope for the future.”