Sarah Allman, 37, is a Dagenham mother-of-three who runs a not-for-profit organisation, Whole Body Therapy, helping older people to avoid falls.

“I was going to join the police and become a PCSO when I fell pregnant with my third child and got ill.

“My pelvis came apart and one of my discs slipped as well so I was in a lot of pain.

“Before that, I used to do jobs so I could earn the money to look after my children but then I was relying on pain relief, benefits and NHS help with physiotherapy. It wasn’t enough.

“I was depressed for a long time because of the pain and not being able to do what I wanted to do.

“I went to Barking and Dagenham College for an administration course because I couldn’t do a physically demanding job and I thought this way I could work for myself. I didn’t want to work for anyone else and I didn’t want to be on benefits.

“A friend asked me to do her book keeping and that gave me such a boost.

“Then I went to Havering Adult College and learnt about anatomy and physiology. I learnt about my own body and thought: ‘I can start learning to fix myself.’

“I took massage qualifications and thought: ‘I can do this and work around my pain. I don’t have to be on benefits.’

“It’s been a long, tortuous journey. I started working with older people in care homes, doing hand and foot massages, but realised there were other problems, like loss of balance, that I could help them with.

“I came across a strength and balance re-training programme called Otago from New Zealand to help prevent falls in older people.

“I incorporated Whole Body Therapy in September 2012 and made just £3,000 in the first year of the business. It’s not a money making exercise but the way it makes me feel is on top of the world.”