Jacqui tots up for the future thanks to education grant

FOR single parents getting back to work after having children can be tough, as Newtownabbey mother Jacqui Ramsey knows.

She gave up a well-paid job to become a mum, and then found herself bringing up her son on her own.

With a background in the Air Force, Jacqui knew she needed to retrain, and thanks to a grant from Barclaycard Horizons Your Education she is now on her way to becoming a qualified accountant.

Jacqui, 31, is studying an Accounting Technician course while she works part time as an accounts manager and is mum to two-year-old Jacob.

She recently received a grant of 796 to help pay for her course fees.

"I took a pay cut to leave work and have a baby and then ended up as a single mum," said Jacqui.

"It leaves you in a position where you're not as free to go to university full time, and you have to take the financial support otherwise it would practically be impossible."

Adult Learners Week, which runs from May 15 to 21, is about highlighting and celebrating the opportunities that learning can offer to people like Jacqui at all stages of their life.

Supported by Barclaycard, Horizons Your Education is delivered by the charity Family Action and supports lone parents with the costs associated with career-related education, including childcare and travel costs. Over 1m of grants have already been distributed.

"I applied to do the course, but I didn't realise there were so many costs involved," explained Jacqui.

"I'm the one paying the mortgage and the bills, so I had to get up the next step of the career ladder, and this is the only way I'm going to do it. But it was a shock, the cost was so much, so I was just really grateful, obviously, for the grant from Horizons or I wouldn't have been able to do the course."

Jacqui studies one day a week at a local college, and has to juggle working part time with her studies.

"I'm really lucky that I have my family and they help, but it's a fine balance. Jacob has to come first no matter what; it's only when he came along that I thought now there's two of us to look after, which makes you more determined.

“I'd like to see myself as a qualified accountant. Hopefully I'll be able to give my son things that at the minute I just couldn't."

Family Action chief executive Helen Dent CBE said: "Working with Barclaycard to deliver the Horizons Your Education programme enables us to help thousands of lone parents and their children have a brighter and more secure future. We are very happy indeed to be supporting these inspirational parents to achieve their goals."

Andrea Hughes, Senior Community Manager at Barclaycard added: "We're delighted that the Horizons Your Education programme is helping so many lone parents to realise their career ambitions through much needed financial support. So far Your Education grants have helped almost 12,000 lone parents and their children, whilst the broader Horizons programme has helped another 250,000 lone parents and their children through support around money management issues and help with returning to work."

Help is available from Horizons all year round - not just during Adult Learners Week. For more information log on to www.family-action.org.uk or telephone 0207 254 6251.

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