Hi, I'm Andy. I thought I’d share a little bit about myself and the journey that has brought me here. From a young age I struggled in school. I’ve always had learning difficulties with dyslexia and ADHD. I was diagnosed when I was younger and then again later in life at 40. School was never easy for me, and I was bullied quite a lot growing up, which made it hard to ever feel like I truly fitted in. Looking back now, I realise my mind has always worked differently. I struggled learning through books and traditional teaching methods in school, and many teachers didn’t really understand the way my brain works. But while I struggled with classroom learning, I’ve always been very hands-on and able to learn by doing things physically. I’ve also always noticed patterns and connections in life that are hard to explain. My childhood had its challenges. There was a lot of alcohol around growing up and my home life wasn’t always stable. When I was around eight years old I experienced a traumatic event that stayed with me for a long time. Then when I was ten years old my father passed away. After that my mum moved us from Sheffield back to Wales, which meant starting again in a new school where I didn’t speak Welsh and was bullied again. As I moved into my teenage years I struggled to cope with everything that had happened. Drugs came into my life early, starting with cannabis. I became a father at 19 while still quite wild and drinking heavily. Through most of my twenties I battled with alcohol and cocaine addiction. During that time I lost a lot — including a marriage, a home, and stability in my life. Even so, I always worked hard. I’m a painter and decorator by trade and kept working through it all. Life continued to bring challenges. I later developed a blood clot in my leg, which means I now take blood thinners for life. I also experienced difficult relationships and family struggles, including losing my mother when I was 39 and going through painful legal battles over seeing my children.

@Jessica Poretto thank you