Hannah was volunteering and living abroad in Sri Lanka, which was brought to an abrupt end with the onset of the global lockdown to due covid - seeing Hannah return to a life of great uncertainty and anxiety. At her lowest, Hannah “could not see tomorrow”. When she began experiencing thoughts of suicide, she knew she had to ask for help.

Not long after her diagnosis, Hannah found The Trust with the help of her mum. Her anxiety at this point was so high that she would not answer her phone to numbers she didn’t not recognise and there were many failed attempts to contact her as a result. Once she began working with The Trust, Hannah recalls how the Explore course allowed her to put into practice and apply what she has been learning from her therapy sessions.

“Having something to look forward to each week made a huge impact and more importantly helped me to finally find a home within myself.

Hannah went on to complete The Prince’s Trust Get Started in Product Design with Marvel course which harnessed her creativity, and boosted her skills in design and marketing. With her mental health in a far better place, Hannah secured a new job in marketing. She has since taken the leap to become a self-employed animator and has gained a growing audience on social media.

Elysha, aged 20 was living in care and struggling with her mental health when she found out about the Team programme. Elysha is now working at Sainsbury’s a job she loves and even appeared in Christmas adverts for the supermarket. A dream come true!

"My home life was unsettled, and I was struggling with my mental health. From the age of 16 I was in care and I didn’t enjoy school. I was a bit naughty and the only class I really enjoyed was drama.When I was 18 I moved into supported living. I tried college, it just wasn’t for me. My support worker suggested The Prince’s Trust Team programme in 2022. I think the turning point for me was work experience at Sainsbury’s – the Team leaders helped me to secure a few weeks at a local store. I loved it!"

“Having the confidence to try something new and believing in myself and my abilities is a really good feeling. I would totally recommend the Team programme to everyone, especially if you’re unsure about what you want to do. Just give it a go!”