"It's about so much more than just being able to have a job though..."

When someone steps through the door at Paws & Pause for the first time, they often bring with them a mix of nerves, hope, and uncertainty. For many of our trainees, joining the programme marks the beginning of a personal and professional transformation — a chance to rediscover confidence, build resilience, and take meaningful steps toward independence.

In this heartfelt blog, one of our recent trainee graduates, Emmie, reflects on their year with us - It’s an honest, moving story of growth, courage, and community support — and a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.

"I started the trainee program almost a year ago, not believing for one second that I'd make it past the first couple of months. I remember going to Peckham to meet Jodie for the first time and pacing up and down the road outside for ages battling with my anxiety and trying to find the courage to go in. I so nearly gave up and went home before I'd even made it through the door that first time.

"That version of myself from last March would never have believed that in a year's time she'd be leading the day at Brixton once a week, chatting with customers, and doing the job well enough to be getting paid for it."

I'd never done any kind of paid work before, and so the most obvious benefit I've gotten out of Paws & Pause is that I now have some experience of having a job. I have something I can write about on my CV, and I have confidence in my ability to work. Having a job no longer feels like something that is out of my reach. This is the first time in my life that I've felt like that.

It's been about so much more than just being able to have a job though....

The confidence I've built at work has carried over into so many other areas of my life. As I've grown to feel more and more capable and self-assured at work, I've also grown to feel that way in a more general sense. The feeling of starting to stand on my own two feet and not having to lean on family or Universal Credit as heavily for support has had a truly wonderful impact on my sense of self-worth.

Being unable to work is a very "Othering" experience. It makes you feel somewhat separate from the rest of society. It makes you feel different to the people around you. To feel unable to work is to feel unable to lead "normal" life,

which in turn makes you feel like you are not a normal person. Starting work with Paws & Pause has given me that sense of normality I was missing and helped me feel like a regular person and a regular part of society.

Finding yourself in your late twenties without a lot of the life experience you'd be expected to have by that point is humbling. Deciding you're going to take steps to move forwards with your life after a lengthy battle with your mental health is daunting. I will always be very grateful that I got to take this particular step forwards in such a supportive environment amongst good people.

I’m going to be doing dog walking next! I know from Paws & Pause that I most enjoy working with small groups of dogs and getting out and about with them - so that’s what I’m going to focus on going forwards. I’m going to have a go at setting out on my own, starting my own little dog walking businesss in Finsbury Park. There’s a lot about that that makes me feel really anxious, but I proved to myself during my time with you guys that I can do things that make me anxious, and I think about how far I surpassed my own expectations at Paws (from assuming I wouldn’t make it to the end of the trainee program to ending up as a proper member of staff) whenever I find myself doubting my ability to achieve what I want going forwards." - Emmie

Want to Get Involved?

At Paws & Pause, we believe in creating supportive, inclusive spaces where people can grow, rebuild confidence, and find purpose through working with dogs. Whether you're a dog lover who wants to support our mission, or an organisation interested in partnering with us for placements there are so many ways to get involved.

You can:

• Volunteer your time or skills, we have opportuntities for corperates to get involved with sponsorship!

• Donate to help us expand our reach to more trainees

• Get your company involved in fundraising via challenge events/runs!

• If you work in PR/Media we'd love some help raising our profile!

• Spread the word about the work we do! (and if you're a current owner, take advantage of our refferal scheme discount as a thank you!)

  
  

Every bit of support helps us create more success stories like this one. To find out more, head to www.pawsandpause.co.uk/socialenterprise or drop us a message hello@pawsandpause.co.uk — we’d love to hear from you.