A single mum has revealed the financial frustrations which come with bringing up a child in Nottingham on her own.
Sara, 31, of Gamston, had her daughter Emily, four, aged 26 after going to university in Manchester to study English - but despite her education she fears she will never get onto the property ladder.
She had to move back in with her parents in Chesterfield after splitting with her partner last May due to a lack of spare money for a deposit.
The mum, who works for a housing association, has spoken out on the "crippling cost of childcare, the insecurity of rental accommodation and the cost of living compared with wages".
Her worries and frustrations were raised as part of a short video produced for Nottingham Civic Exchange, which is based at Nottingham Trent University, that shows what an “ordinary working family” can look like.
She has since moved back to Gamston to live on her own with her daughter. Emily attends a West Bridgford school and mum Sara said she worries about trying to "keep up appearances".
After all expenses are paid for, Sara is often left with little to spend at the end of the month.
She agreed to feature in the film because she felt frustrated at the lack of support for working families.
Sara said: "I agreed to take part in this project because it highlights issues which I’m extremely passionate about.
"But it’s a passion which is borne out of frustration. Frustration that, as a working parent, I struggle to make ends meet and provide for my child in the way that I’d like.
"Frustration that, despite working full-time and paying into a pension scheme, my prospects for living comfortably after retirement age are bleak.
"And frustration that, although I went to university, got a good degree and did my best to get a decent job afterwards, I will probably never make it onto the property ladder, because I started renting at 18 and since then have been stuck in a ‘rent trap’ of high rents and agency fees, which have prevented me from ever being able to save for a deposit.
"I don't want to sound ungrateful as I know there are families out there worse off than me, but the word 'frustrated' is what I would keep referring to at my situation.
"I just want to see the gap closed between wages and living costs."
The video Sara features in is the start of a four-part series of events throughout 2019 being organised by the Civic Exchange.
Dr Paula Black, director of Nottingham Civic Exchange, said: “Our desire is to begin a conversation. We understand that alone as a group within Nottingham Trent University we can’t develop a place famed for its good quality, fulfilling and meaningful work.
KIDS AND FAMILY
"For us this is a beginning aimed at starting the conversation.
“We can’t ensure good work is available to everyone with the click of a button and we don’t believe artificial intelligence will create the utopian/dystopian future many are predicting.
"We believe we must begin to build on the great work undertake by others on good work to further the debate and build positive change in our place so Nottingham can be seen to be the place people feel proud to work in.”
