Letters to the Editor

THE BOYS’ CLUBHOUSE

Dear Editor

I don't like to write into newspapers and generally steer clear of publicity, but we're so indebted to a particular organisation that has brought our family back from the brink that I've broken my own rule in order bring to the attention of your readership the organisation to whom we owe everything.

Possibly due to illness in the family, possibly due to bullying at school, possibly due to the death of a beloved grandparent and possibly due to a combination of all three – plus other factors of which we may never be aware, we watched helplessly as our once loving, caring and engaging son spiralled down into a web of drugs, friends who he could have done without and criminality.

We lost count of the number of sleepless nights when our son didn’t come home till the early hours, and on too many occasions he didn’t come home at all for days on end, only reappearing dirty, dishevelled and in not an insignificant amount of pain. We had to start hiding bottles of alcohol and we stopped keeping anything of value in sight. To say our family life was turned upside down is an understatement.

Then we saw chinks of light through an otherwise dark and bleak landscape. That began on the day our friends suggested we approach Ari from The Boys’ Clubhouse and that day was arguably the best day in our lives.

Due to the enormous challenges we faced keeping our son at home, The Boys’

Clubhouse stepped in with temporary accommodation which was a lifeline to all of us, our son most of all.

The gentle but invaluable and very effective mentoring they gave both our son and us was like water to a group of wilted plants in a desert.

The endless hours of therapy they gave our son, offering him a different weltanschauung was priceless.

By educating him in the ways of the world, how to behave within a family and other social settings, how to learn to trust people again, how to harness his skill set to allow him to feel a sense of self-worth has not only given our family our son back, but has given our beloved son a sense of purpose which had eluded him for far too long.

When we, his loving parents, were unable to be there for our son, Ari and The Clubhouse were there.

When we were unable to understand where we had gone wrong, Ari and The Clubhouse were there to reassure us and to validate our feelings.

When our son had no one to turn to, Ari and The Clubhouse were his loyal and caring friends.

As I write this words, my face is wet with tears, but this time with tears of gratitude rather than with tears of pain and confusion.

I cannot say enough how dear we hold Ari and his whole Team at The Boys’ Clubhouse in our hearts.

Name and address supplied