Brightstar has helped many vulnerable people to find the strength to empower themselves, turn their lives around and set about fulfilling their life ambitions. We love to bring you these success stories and today we focus on Ben and his mum.

Ben, now aged 10, was referred to us a little over a year ago, starting at Brightstar in April 2023. He has made amazing progress over the last 12 months - to the point where his mum now says “Brightstar has changed his life . . . and mine. I now feel that I’ve got my old boy back.” Ben attends Brightstar in Shifnal four times a week. We asked Ben* and his mum to tell us about their journey and this is what they said.

*Please note that the name has been changed for safeguarding reasons.

Q: How did you get involved with Brightstar?

Mum: “Ben* had quite a few struggles through primary school and they suggested that as a last resort we try Brightstar and see if their Futures Programme would be a help to him. Ben* has been on the programme since last April and it’s made an incredible change to his life.”

Q: How has it helped?
Mum: “Ben* has learnt how to manage his anger in a positive way through coping mechanisms and boxing has helped him massively.

The difference really has been amazing and it has made a difference to me as well. I don’t know where he or I would have been if it hadn’t been for the Futures Programme.
Ben*'s Mum

“He had a few little hiccups to start with because he struggles with change, but after the first few weeks and with him getting into the programme, things really took off - they now call him ‘the little champ’ at Brightstar. He just succeeds there now, it’s been great for him.”

Q: Tell us more about that journey?
Mum: “The programme includes education and motivation, giving him more confidence. He had lacked self-esteem and thought very badly about himself. We don’t get any of that anymore - it’s brought him a lot of confidence and better control, he now knows his anger and his feelings, which makes things much more manageable for him.

“Ben* doesn’t feel alone anymore, he knows how to manage things in a positive way, and his vocabulary has improved. He was very verbal, his language was next level for his age and he was very physical with anyone around him. He would lash out, pick up any object and throw it - regardless of who was in front of him.

“He also had suicidal thoughts which was particularly alarming for his age and he got to the point where he kept telling me to call the police because he wanted to be taken away, knowing that he needed help. That was a pivotal moment and was when all the avenues came together: the school, doctors and Brightstar. Since then he has turned a corner massively.

“My mental health was suffering and while I know it sounds horrible, I really felt that I was nearing the point of giving up. It was all too much. He would lash out at his siblings and I couldn’t leave him in a room without him attacking people. It was a very, very, hard time.”

Q: What are things like now?
Mum: “It’s been a long journey with Ben, an extremely long five-year stretch to be honest, a long fight trying to get him the help he needed and Brightstar have been amazing - I just wish I had known about them before. Things are totally different now. A lot more optimistic. He is still on medication and under a mental health team. Things can be controlled now, there is a structure in place and much easier than they were prior to last April. I can honestly say that I have been inspired by the progress he has made. I am so proud of him. He has transformed his life. He has been empowered by Brightstar and I now feel empowered by him. I’ve now got my old son back.

“Brightstar has changed his life. He had a coach called Mitch who was there from the start and Ben developed a really strong bond with him. He empowered Ben* as well. I also took part in one of the programmes run by Brightstar called Sporting Maths, which helps carers and parents to improve their maths so they can gain confidence in helping their children with their school work.

“Brightstar has a fantastic team and can’t do enough for the children there. They are always thinking positively and there is never any negative aspect about the place. It’s always filled with so much joy and it’s lovely to meet up with and chat to other parents in similar situations. It makes you understand that you are not alone.”
Ben*'s Mum

We thought it would be a good idea to get Ben’s* take on the last year:

Q: Could you tell us what things were like before going to Brightstar?

Ben: “It has helped me so much going to Brightstar over the last year. It has helped my mum a lot too because she really struggled with me for about five years. I got so bad that I smashed glasses, my wall, my door. It was like if I found an object next to me I would use it. “It was just something in me that triggered and I couldn’t get out of it. When I got angry my mum would ask me what happened and I didn’t know, I couldn’t tell her. Something just took over my mind and I couldn’t seem to remember afterwards what had caused it. “Before I went to Brightstar I did martial arts and boxing but I lost my martial arts licence because when I got angry I was using that on my siblings - I would have been five or six years old then.”

Q: How has Brightstar helped you?

Ben: “I love going to Brightstar, they have helped me so much. I came on such a lot
in the past year. I have learnt how to control my anger and while I still get a few
wobbles, things are so much better.

I have learnt how to control my anger and while I still get a few
wobbles, things are so much better.
Ben*

Q: What do you do at Brightstar?
Ben: “When I go to Brightstar, I do English and maths there and mentoring. I have done my boxing coaching course, so I can help the people at Brightstar with that when they are coaching the other children. I am more confident and Brightstar is amazing, it’s been helpful to me and they really care for me.

Q: What are your hopes for the future?

Ben: “I would like to get into amateur boxing. Sometimes I get a bit off-track if I get stressed or tired and tend to think that maybe I won’t be able to make it into the amateur squad, but I’m going to keep trying and working hard at it.”