Stowmarket woman who turned her life around now hopes to help other women with empowerment trip to Mexico

A young woman has told how she turned her life around after falling into a downward cycle of alcohol, drugs and homelessness - and how she now wants to help others.

Six years ago, Maddie King, 23, was living in a youth hostel after finding herself homeless.

After leaving Stowmarket High School, she lost direction and started experiment with recreational drugs and alcohol.

“I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life and those things led me to mix with the wrong crowd,” said Maddie.

“It also led to relationship issues and I went to live in a youth hostel. This went on for two years and I had no ambition, aspirations.”

Maddie’s life was saved thanks to the Prince’s Trust, in 2015.

“I was told I might lose my place at the hostel if I didn’t go on their course, and so I rolled my eyes, and said: okay then,” she said.

“I lived at an outdoor education centre in Essex.

There were various activities like rock climbing, caving and archery and simply being outdoors, changed my outlook.

“In 2017 I decided to try for university and make the best of myself.”

Maddie is now a teacher after gaining a First Class degree in Social and Community Development. She teaches children in personal, social and health education.

Her life, however, may be about to change again after she was contacted by GVI, an independent voluntary organisation, inviting her to go on a four-week women’s empowerment expedition to a deprived town in eastern Mexico.

“I started an Instagram page called @educ8equality and they spotted that,” she said.

The trip will allow me to help the women of Puerto Morelos to gain independence, escape harmful relationships and become empowered.

Maddie needs to raise £2,500 for the trip and has set up a fund-raising page.

She has also organised a fund-raising virtual concert on Saturday March 6 which, amongst other Suffolk artists, features her dad, Stowmarket musician Paul King, of the Chuck Wills Band.

All the details can be found by visiting Maddie's page here: www.justgiving.com

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