Seven Five Year-Olds

Olivia [1] is five years old, small but determined, with a smile that makes people think everything in her world is easy. But life for Olivia and her mum is anything but simple. They live together in a small private rented house in Brae, close enough to the shop and school to walk everywhere.  This is important, because they can't afford to buy or run a car.

Olivia’s mum works parttime, 18 hours a week. She earns £10,102 a year [i], which is about £194 a week.  After taxes and benefits are balanced out, because one pretty much cancels out the other, her final income becomes £10,088 a year [ii]. Once the rent is paid, they’re left with just £112 a week [iii], or £16.03 a day, to cover everything else. For two people, that doesn’t stretch far.

She is representative of the average child among the poorest seventh of all children in the UK.  In a Shetland context 4% of Shetland households have an income lower than her, below £10k [iv].

Living in Shetland makes some things harder too. It costs up to 30% more to have an acceptable cost of living, than if she lived in a UK urban area [v]. Food costs more, especially fresh food, and travelling to Lerwick for cheaper groceries takes time, planning, and usually a lift from someone. Still, Olivia’s mum never gives up. She tries to shop smart, and she’s grateful for help from her family, especially when Olivia’s grandmother has spare homegrown vegetables. On a few tough weeks, she’s needed support from the food bank, something she wishes wasn’t necessary but is thankful for.

On the occasions when Olivia’s mum has needed help with food or heating, she has found the process hard to navigate. Support isn’t always immediately available, and there is a sense that help should only be used sparingly. She remembers one moment particularly clearly, where she hesitated before asking again, worrying that it might be seen as too much, even though nothing about her situation had improved [vi].

The house they rent isn’t perfect. It’s cold in winter, and the heating is expensive, so it’s used only when absolutely needed. Dampness creeps in during the colder months, and Olivia has developed a bit of a cough that worries her mum. Clothes are hard to dry inside, and hanging them outside is impossible in winter storms.  If they were to heat all the rooms in their home, to keep warm through the year, it would cost up to £385 a month [vii], which would leave them very little for any other costs.

Her mum wishes they could move into social housing where rent would be cheaper, but the waiting list is long. At least their current landlord is someone she knows, which makes her feel a tiny bit more secure.  She has spoken to the landlord to see if there are any improvements they could make but there isn’t anything that can be done quickly, cheaply or without major upheaval and there is very little support for the landlord to do the work.

Despite all this, Olivia’s world is full of imagination. She decorates her room with fairy lights and drawings, because her mum can’t afford paint or new furniture. She loves walking to the beach, one of the few things that costs nothing, and collecting stones she thinks look magical.

Olivia’s dad is serving a 6 year sentence in prison for the offence of causing death by dangerous driving.  He drove his best friend home from the pub whilst under the influence of alcohol, losing control of the vehicle, and his friend died from his injuries.  He currently resides in Shetland’s closest prison estate, HMP Grampian.  Olivia has always had a positive and loving relationship with her dad and longs to see him in person.  However, the time and costs associated with making visits to HMP Grampian from Shetland make this impossible - two overnight ferry journeys, two train journeys and two bus or taxi journeys and at least one overnight stay in accommodation, to have a maximum two hour visit [viii].   This is something Olivia and her mum cannot afford.  Instead, Olivia and her mum settle for phone calls and Olivia draws many pictures for her dad, which her mum sorts through before sending as many depict the sadness she feels around being separated from her dad and the intimidation, from some, they have both experienced due to having a loved one in prison, despite it not being their fault.

Olivia’s mum knows that getting out and seeing other parents would help both of them, but that isn’t always easy. When Olivia was younger, they loved going to Bookbug when they were in Lerwick, because you could just go along and it was free. Some activities run by volunteers feel daunting, not because the people aren’t kind, but because there is often an unspoken worry about being asked to contribute - bringing baking, helping out, or finding money at short notice. Even small expectations can add pressure when every pound is already accounted for, and she worries quietly about being judged if she can’t keep up, even though most of the other parents are friendly and welcoming [ix].

Olivia sometimes notices when her mum is tired or overwhelmed. She’s a sensitive child who picks up on emotions quickly. But she also sees how hard her mum works to make their home loving, safe, and steady.

Olivia’s mum dreams of a future where Olivia can have friends over after school and never feel she has less than others. She worries, of course about money, about damp walls, about being judged, but she keeps going. And Olivia, bright and resilient, keeps hoping too.