24 Jul 2026 | Pixie Parker
My name is Pixie, at the time of writing this, I’m 29 years old and I was a young adult at Esteem.
I stumbled upon Esteem with the help of a therapist who was supporting me through a very traumatic period of my life. I’d lost my Dad when I was 19 and my Mum not long later, I was only 23 and had just stepped out of uni when I felt like the whole world had come crashing down around me.
At the time, I was really struggling with feelings of anxiety and my mental health wasn’t good. I remember being really skeptical of getting involved in an organisation for young adults, I didn’t really know what to expect and how well I would fit in with the other young adults at Esteem. I’d just moved to Shoreham-by-Sea and I had no friends in the area at all, so I decided to come along and give it a try.
When I stepped into the Old School House for the first time, I immediately felt at home. I had a meeting with Emma, who at the time was the programme manager at Esteem. She told me all about everything the charity had to offer and I was really keen to start participating after our chat. On my way out, I met another young adult who was similar in age to me. We immediately got along as we had really similar hobbies and interests and I’m still friends with them now, it’s been at least 7 years!
I spent a good few years at Esteem, they really helped me figure out who I am, find my feet with adulthood and develop skills I didn’t ever think I had. I got really stuck in with a lot of projects and activities where I made lots of friends, honed my existing skills and learned things about “adulting” that I would otherwise have no clue how to do today. It was by chance that I was invited to take part in some cooking classes. Sometimes when I’m reflecting upon things that really set me up for adulthood, I think back on those sessions and I often remember just how much of a terrible cook I used to be. I definitely survived on pasta and beans on toast prior to that!
I was the go-to graphic designer at Esteem for quite a while, which I have a degree in. I got so many opportunities to keep using my skills, I made things such as posters, banners and even a whole cook book full of recipes written by other young adults! I remember having a lot of fun working on every project and it really taught me a lot about working and being professional.
Getting involved in every facet of Esteem was a huge milestone for me, I of course did join in with the social activities and the fun stuff, I loved tie dyeing socks, doing beach cleans, getting support for my mental health with my counsellor and most of all I really enjoyed meeting with my mentor. Mentoring was what really opened my eyes to what I wanted to do with my adult life. My mentor, Amsel, was really good at challenging my thoughts and helping me unpick what I was figuring out at the time. We’re still connected on LinkedIn!
Towards the end of my time as a young adult at Esteem, I was a member of the Youth Management Team, we were sort of the prototype phase of the organisation’s youth led approach which has now grown massively. We did an entire community outreach project to try and get the name of Esteem out into the community around Shoreham, we spoke to local business owners, councillors, nurses and so many other brilliant people from around town. It was a fantastic project to be involved with.
I eventually moved on to become one of Esteem’s lived experience young trustees. My time on the board was so rewarding, I learned so much about charity governance, finance, safeguarding and so much more. I’ve since gotten into the world of work as a fundraising and marketing officer, using skills I learned while I was at Esteem.
Looking back at my time at Esteem, I’m always so grateful for taking that leap. When I walked through those doors, I was terrified, anxious and didn’t know how to navigate the world. Now I’m a fully fledged adult, attempting to make waves in the world in my own way. I’m a lot more confident in myself, I’m certainly thriving and not just surviving like I was at the time.
Esteem has so much to offer to young adults who are still figuring things out. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Esteem. I’ll always be grateful to the staff and young adults who I crossed paths with for helping me shape my future into what it is now.
If you are able to support Esteem, it would mean the world to me and the hundreds of young adults that they support. Charities like Esteem are so important for young people to really have a space of their own and figure out who they are!