Kathy, 75, from Solihull, has dyslexia and a learning disability. She spent most of the pandemic by herself.

“I didn’t see my children at all in lockdown. They don’t live near me, and it was horrible.

"I have five children, three boys and two girls, and I brought them up practically on my own. I had my first child out of wedlock – and people judged me for it – but I started working from the age of 16 and I did my best."

Kathy has also struggled with her mental health for several decades.

“I’ve always been so kind to people, and I like to help others, but I don’t feel like I’m accepted in the community. I have depression and anxiety, and I was 52 years old when I first attempted suicide.

I was sectioned and I spent five weeks in a psychiatric hospital. I was given anti-depressants and anxiety tablets but there was no-one I could talk to."

When I feel sad, my temper goes up and my head feels like it’s going to burst. I tend to bottle things up, then, all of a sudden, it comes out."

“I don’t like being a burden, and in the pandemic, I tried to keep myself occupied. But I live in a bungalow by myself and there was nothing to do but sit at home and mope. I talked to my kids on the phone, and I remember my son left flowers on the doorstep for Mother’s Day.

"When I feel anxious, I get pains in my chest; and it feels like heartburn. When my anxiety is sky high, I try to do housework to take my mind off things. I couldn’t see anyone in lockdown, so I’d just walk round the block to the local shop and back again.

"I’m on a waiting list to see a psychologist now, but the appointment still hasn’t come through. I’ve called my GP but there’s no-one available to see me in person. How can I say how I really feel?

"I’m a person in my own right and I want my voice to be heard. My confidence was right down, but I’ve built it back up. I’m volunteering as an engagement worker for an organisation called Solihull Action through Advocacy. I love working with and meeting new people.

"I want to be loved and to feel accepted in my community. But sometimes people approach me like I’m stupid and it’s like society has cast me as a nobody.

"If there was another lockdown, I wouldn’t cope. My mental health would go out the window and I would think about attempting suicide. I want to get the message out there that mental health professionals need to be trained to support people with a learning disability. I’m just as good as anybody else and I deserve to have my rights.”