Last updated on August 24th, 2026 at 02:24 pm
I met 14 year old Kelly at the local foodbank when I was making a Hygiene Bank delivery during the Christmas holidays.
Kelly is the oldest of four sister and lives in rented social housing. Her mum juggles three jobs; she cleans offices early in the morning, is a nursery care assistant during the day and sometimes works nights as a female taxi driver.
“My Dad left a few years ago, so t’s just my mum, me and my three sisters”. “I know mum finds it stressful so I try and help with my sisters as much as possible and babysit them when mum has to work nights and school holidays”.
“Sometimes, like when the car needed fixing last month I know mum doesn’t really enough (money) so I didn’t want to ask her for money for pads when I got my period. I pretended I was sick and stayed off school and then when it was lighter I rolled up loo roll”.
While Kelly’s’ story is 100 per cent genuine, a model has been used to protect her identity.
