Ref. 30818-48WHEN she became pregnant at 17, Rachel Batchelor feared her world was about to collapse.

Five years later, she admits life as a single mother is far from easy.

But rather than suffer in silence, she has decided to start a support group for other lone parents in Penhill.

Besides suffering from prejudice, young mums often find themselves isolated, and have no-one to share the pressures of parenthood with.

"Being a single mother is the hardest job in the world," said Rachel, whose daughter, Phoebe, is now four.

"You're on your own, you never get a break and you are on call 24 hours a day."

The one thing Rachel wants more than anything else is the chance to meet other single mums, and share experiences.

"I just want to meet other people who know what it is like," she said.

Rachel, 22, of Wesley Way, Penhill, hopes other mums can learn from her experience of parenthood.

She has led a traumatic life, but says despite the difficulties, being a mother has brought great joy and happiness. Her father died when she was 12, and eight years later her mother suffered a fatal stroke.

She said getting pregnant was not part of her plan.

"I was petrified," she said, "I just wasn't ready."

A week after breaking the news to her boyfriend, the couple split.

The pair remained friends until after Phoebe was born.

When the couple split, Rachel moved in with her grandmother, who was seriously ill with cancer. And sadly, her grandmother died a month before Phoebe was born, so Rachel was forced to move into a hostel.

She lived there with Phoebe for nine months before a house was found for her in Penhill.

"When I moved to Penhill, I would have found it so much easier if there had been a support group I could have joined," she said.

Rachel started the group called Going It Alone - with the help of family support agency Sure Start.

The first meeting will be held tomorrow between 3pm and 5pm at St Peter's Church Hall, Penhill Drive.

Tamash Lal