It has been 25 years since I first met HRH The Prince of Wales and had the pleasure of performing at The Prince’s Trust Gala. And for these 25 years, The Trust and its cause has held a dear place in my heart.
Through a range of programmes, The Prince’s Trust helps young people get into jobs, education and training, equipping them with vital life and employability skills to get their life on track and realise their full potential. I am proud to say that I have been a long-term ambassador for The Trust and continue to be inspired by the young people I have met along the way.
Life has been particularly turbulent and destabilising for young people as a result of the pandemic and The Trust’s work has never been more important that it is now. It was an honour to attend and present at The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx and Homesense Awards yesterday and celebrate the lives of some incredible young people who have overcome challenges and achieved success through the support of The Trust.
One of the winners, Charlotte Wookey, who won the HSBC UK Breakthrough Award, battled mental health problems but with the support of The Trust, turned her life around, gained confidence and landed her dream job in a doggy day care. Emma-May Miller, who won the Watches of Switzerland Group Young Change Maker Award is a young carer for her parents. Emma-May faced severe mental health challenges and with the help of The Trust she gained the confidence to finish education, gained employability skills through additional courses, and is now on her way to pursuing her dream career in Human Rights at Stirling University.
There is also Kayleigh Taylor, whose award I had the honour of presenting, as she snapped up the NatWest Enterprise Award. Kayleigh is an extraordinary young woman who demonstrated that ADHD does not have to be barrier to landing your dream career as, with the help of The Trust, she established herself as a successful entrepreneur by opening her own healthy meal-prep delivery service called ‘Klee’s Kitchen’. These are just some of the exceptional young people that The Prince’s Trust has supported, and I am so honoured that I was able to celebrate with them all.
It is truly incredible to see these young women thrive and set such a wonderful example to all girls and women out there. I know the importance of strong female role models first hand, as without remarkable women in my life, like my mum and the other Spice Girls, I would have never been able to achieve all the wonderful things I did.
This year’s Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx and Homesense Awards have recognised extraordinary individuals, who are truly an inspiration to us all. With the help of The Trust, and their own initiative, they have overcome adversity and various challenges in their way to create a better future not only for themselves but also those around them. If you know someone who is struggling, someone who needs extra support to unlock their untapped potential, let them know about The Prince’s Trust - it might be what they need to get their life back on track.
The Prince's Trust Awards 2022, Thursday 26th May at 8.30pm on ITV.
