Tai began his journey with us after he had finished college. He had very little confidence and no motivation to do anything. Every day being in his room playing video games and doing nothing saying himself that it was boring.

When Tai started working with YES, he had a few meetings with Simon before deciding that the team programme would be a good thing for his confidence and motivation. Tai attended the taster day with Simon and decided to start.

After Tai had completed the programme, he was more confident and had finally got some motivation he began to work with Simon more working on his CV and completing applications. After some more work with Simon Tai was offered an interview with a construction company which he went to and was very successful.

He was offered a trail shift with the company which he was at first very reluctant to take, however after some support and words of wisdom from Simon he took the opportunity. Safe to say he was very glad that Simon had convinced him to go to the trail as he is now working full time with the company and is being taught about all aspects of construction that he wanted to learn about.

Stephen’s journey has not been an easy one in August 2022 he was rushed to hospital with a catastrophic bleed on the brain which turned his life upside down. This left Stephen feeling like he was struck in a pit that he was unable to get out of. One of the biggest barriers being a lack in self confidence and motivation due to him only just coming out of hospital. He himself saying that he didn’t have the will to do anything and was sitting at home all day very rarely doing any activities.

Stephen began working with YES who he says helped him to find a sense of purpose and helped and supported him with all the needs he needed to grow. His main needs at the time being his self-confidence as well as helping to find him something to do while he was in a state of limbo.

Stephen joined the Team Programme where he wanted to make new friends and gain new skills, knowledge and experiences. All of which he was able to do when completing the 12-week course

Stephen has since been working with Simon and has now secured himself a job as an activity’s instructor at PGL. He will be completing full training in Devon and is really excited for all the new opportunities.

John loves nothing more than the outside, going on bike rides, long walks, and spending time with his family. Other than family John didn’t socialise with many people and confidence and communication was something that he struggled with.

Before stating with YES john was at college doing catering which he passed in July 2022. However, John had been at college for 4 years where he had also completed his maths and English. John said that this was a good experience and that he loved every part of it however it was time to start looking for some other things away from the college. This is when john met Tony in the September of 2022. After working with Tony for a short amount of time Tony could see that John was struggling with is communication and found out about how he didn’t socialise so suggested that he took part in the Team Programme which he did.

While on the Team Programme John overcame many things and had some great experiences. While on the Team Programme John also got to go on the residential which for someone who loved the outdoors as much as he did was an amazing experience with his highlights being the zip line and ladder run. He was also able to make some friend and began to socialise with them both on the programme as well as outside the programme. This also helped him to hugely improve on his confidence as well as how he was communicating. Before coming into the service John had no work experience which was something that he was also able to get from his time on Team Programme. He had a placement at The Unity Centre where he was supervising, supporting in giving information as well as working with people and gaining valuable people skills.

After completing the team programme John began to do some more work with Tony and they were able to find some course that were perfectly suited for what John wanted to do. Since then, John has now completed 4 of these courses and has really found his green thumb. Some of the courses includes a sow and grow as well as a waling through time course which he is still doing now.

After working with Tony and completing the Team Programme John has said that he feels he has conquered fears, developed his practical skills, improved his communication and is much more motivated but most importantly john has said that he has hugely improved his confidence.

John is still completing his courses and is working with Tony to look into finding some apprenticeships in his chosen sector. As he feels that this would be a very good next step for him.

Before starting her journey with Inspire was doing nothing after she had been in Education. She completed school and came away with GCSEs. She had also been to college where she achieved BTEC qualifications and enjoyed her time there. Unfortunately for Lucy her next steps after college didn’t go quite as planned as she attended Stafford University which she had to drop out of due to her mental health at the time. She has said it was important for her to drop out at the time to find herself as she felt this was something that had become lost. At this time, she was planning to do an apprenticeship which is how she met Cathy of Apprenticeships Suffolk at the Job Centre.

Cathy at the time was working with The Youth Employment Services on a Project and referred Lucy to us. Lucy then met Tony at Colville House where they spoke about Lucy’s options. This was when she expressed – “I wanted to come out of my shell” Hearing this Tony suggested that Lucy did the Team Programme. Lucy decided that this would be a good idea and did the 12-week programme.

While doing this Lucy learnt some valuable skills and gained plenty of personal achievements. She hugely improved her confidence, became more resilient, made lots of new friends and connected with some old and was also able to improve her teamwork skills.

Lucy said “It was difficult but enjoyable” when asked about her time on the programme.

After the programme, Lucy was able to regain a position at Stafford University which she previously attended and will be heading there to do a 3-year law course. She also went back to Tony to get some further support before she headed off to university where they worked together to create a cover letter to go with her CV to help her when it came to applying for jobs in and around the area of the university.

Lucy Would like to thank Jenni for putting up with her and the team while they were on the programme. She would also like to thank Tony for being a laugh and making everyone really happy.

She would also like to share her thanks to everyone at Inspire for being supportive through everything.

Tom lives with his mum and brother. He has autism and a mild hearing issue and suffers from anxiety. Tom got through school with level 1’s and 2’s in English and Maths and has been working 6 hours a week at his local convenience store.

Before starting with Inspire Tom says he lacked direction and was not sure what he wanted to do with his life. He also felt that both his autism and anxiety were holding him back and stopping him from seeking the help that he needed.

In April 2023 Tom’s work coach at the job centre mentioned Inspire and he began to work with Lisa a little later. At their first meeting, Tom and Lisa discussed a multitude of things including his overall wellbeing. After this discussion, Lisa suggested that Tom be referred to Inspire Wellbeing Service, which he did. Another thing that Lisa and Tom discussed was Tom’s interests, where Lisa learned about Tom’s interest in music.

This led them to explore courses at college such as a performing arts course at Suffolk New College, but Tom quickly decided that this wasn’t the course for him. They also explored the options of work experience and volunteering with the likes of Leiston Film Theatre. Unfortunately for Tom, they didn’t have any opportunities at the time. This led them to go back to exploring college courses where they looked into Media or games and esports. From this, Tom liked the look of the media course and with Lisa’s support he applied.

Once Tom had been accepted onto the course he and Lisa looked into how he was going to get to the college. After looking into this they decided that the bus would be the best option. After this was decided to overcome his travel anxieties Lisa took a bus journey with Tom to Saxmundham and back to see how he got on. Lisa was also able to arrange for Tom to get a laptop through The Ropes Trust to support him in his studies as well as help to organise a travel bursary and apply for an EHCP.

Tom attended his taster day at Suffolk New College in June, on his travelling there and back by bus, which was a huge achievement for himSince then, he has attended an interview with the course leader and attended the enrolment day again on his own, travelling to and from there by bus.

Tom is now attending Suffolk New College, to complete his Level 1 Media course as well as a Maths GCSE and English Functional Skills course. He has said that he is really enjoying being at college.

Tom has said that working with Inspire’s Youth Employment Service and Wellbeing Service has helped him to overcome his anxiety and how to deal with it better. He would like to thank Lisa for all her help and support throughout his time on YES.

Torree currently lives at home with her mum, dad, and sister. She struggles with her anxiety and even left school in year 9 due to her anxieties. Because of this, she felt as if she was being held back from being able to move forward in education as well as life in general. This meant she was not going out very often and found it really difficult to socialise.

Her anxieties continued through to now where she met Lisa our YES Personal Development Coach. Although she was still anxious when she started working with YES, Lisa was able to pull Torree out of her shell. They discussed opportunities within Inspire which is when Lisa mentioned both Inspires Online Achieve Summer Programme and Inspires Wellbeing Service. From these conversations, Torree decided to sign up for both.

Torree successfully completed the Online Achieve Programme. She was even able to turn on her camera and talk into the microphone during the last session which for her was a huge win! Not only was Jay the programme tutor proud of her for doing this she also found this to be a huge personal achievement and was extremely proud of herself.

After finishing the Achieve Programme Torree and Lisa went back to discussing her next steps. Lisa suggested that Torree do the Inspires Princes Trust Team Programme to improve her confidence even further. However, despite thinking this would benefit her Torree decided she would like to get back into education and go back to college. Both Torree and Lisa from here were able to look into possible courses that would be in Torree’s chosen sector.

These were photography or something around gardening and landscaping. It was at this point that Lisa found a course at East Coast College called Grow and Mow. With this course, Torree would also be able to study both her English and Maths. So, with Lisa’s help, Torree applied for these and was accepted.

Torree was asked what the highlights of her time with Inspire would be and she has said that becoming more confident, beginning to overcome her anxieties, and having Lisa by her side to provide support, help and guidance.

Torree would like to thank Jay for his support during the Achieve Programme. Lisa for all her help with providing information, and guidance and helping her to build up her confidence. She would also like to thank her mum, dad and Early Help Team workers Jo and Lydia for all of their help with everything.

Teddy moved to Suffolk about two years ago. He felt after moving that he had nobody around him apart from his family and their 2 cats.

He has suffered with his mental health since school. Due to this it meant that he barley attended year 11 just being able to scrape through his GCSE’s. This also meant that he also found he was too anxious to start college once he had left school.

After leaving school Teddy found himself at home doing nothing. He would only leave the house to go to the shops. He had signed himself up to a Life skills course however this didn’t go to plan, and he was unable to start due to no fault of his own.

To start his journey Teddy met with Both Jenni the Youth Development Tutor for the Princes Trust Team Programme and with Tony the Youth Employment Coach from the Youth Employment Service. The first meeting was difficult as Teddy is a selective mute and would only communicate through post it notes. For the first meeting both Tony and Jenni made it their mission to make sure Teddy felt comfortable even if he didn’t want to speak at the time.

After a few meetings with Jenni and Tony. Teddy decided to sign up for the team programme, where he completed his level 1. While being on the Team Programme Teddy also began attending Social Space. This is where those who are looking for a comfortable and inviting place to unwind and have fun with friends. The drop-in sessions offer a safe and inclusive environment for all young people, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+. Doing the level 1 programme allowed Teddy to make new friends and, he came out of his shell he felt more confident. By the end of the programme Teddy was able to deliver a speech to a room full of people which was a huge step in his journey

After completing the Level one Programme Teddy began to attend Tony Tuesdays which were wellbeing workshops where he was able to meet with new people and continue progressing like he had done on the Team Programme. By doing this Teddy decided that it would be good for him to the level 2 team programme which he is still currently completing now.

Teddys top 3 things about his time with Team Programme and the Youth Employment Service were making friends, going on the Team residential as he says it was good to be away in the fresh air away from everything. His third highlight was being able to come to a place that has a good environment and to be able to use the facilities such as the kitchen.

Teddy has now gained employment working on the checkouts at Tesco’s. He has said he looks forward to starting this roll to gain new experiences.

Before working with Inspire and The Youth Employment Service found himself stuck in a vicious cycle made worse by the struggles from the pandemic. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic Jack was struggling with his mental health and had disengaged from his education at the time. This moving into the pandemic left Jack feeling very low and struggling to leave the house he said “It was very suffocating. It was the same thing again and again”. He felt as if everything was getting worse but at the same time staying the same.

Jack was introduced to Inspire and the Youth Employment Service by the Early Help Team and met with Simon at Felixstowe Library with his mum. In this first meeting, Jack and Simon were able to discuss the Support that the Youth Employment Service could offer. As well as talking about the Team Programme because Simon could see that this would be beneficial for Jack. It was at this initial meeting that Jack decided to give the Team Programme a go. He said, “It felt like a door literally opened to something else life could hold.”

Completing the Team Programme for Jack was a whole new world full of good and different. Not only did it allow him to meet new people, but it allowed him to get into a regular routine while visiting new places which were outside of the four walls of his own home. He has said that this “felt like a whole new world”. By doing Team and breaking all these barriers Jack was also able to build on his social skills and improve his confidence.

After completing the Team Programme Jack continued working with Simon but quickly decided that he wanted to get back into education. He will now be starting at Suffolk New College doing English, Maths, and a Level 1 Digital Skills course. Once he has completed these he will be looking to get into his passion of linguistics.

Livi came to the Youth Employment Service after being jobless for three years. After attending the Job centre to sign up for Universal Credit, Livi was introduced to Simon.

At the time, Livi had recently started some part time work at café. Although she was very happy with this, she was still striving to do more and progress in her career.

One of the main things that Livi was struggling with was the rejections from places she had applied for – she’d had no luck to the point she was beginning to give up. This was when Simon stepped in and instilled in her the importance of persevering.

Simon noted that Livi might be able to make improvements to her CV to increase employer interest. After working for together on this they uploaded the CV to Indeed where the new and improved CV attracted plenty of new work. Unfortunately, however, this still wasn’t the type of work that Livi was looking for.

Nevertheless, while working with the Youth Employment Service, Livi got the opportunity for a second small part time role in which she is a cleaner. She has now been given her opportunity to take this work on full time from September which she is looking forward too. She has said this has helped her start looking at her future more logically and is beginning to think things will work out for her. After starting full time in September, Livi is looking to take some driving lessons and take her test to make commuting easier.

When asked, Livi said she would recommend the service to other young people as there is no judgement and everyone is very patient and understanding in helping you to get somewhere.

Jae found themselves at a crossroads after completing sixth form. Despite receiving an offer from Canterbury University, Jae lacked the confidence and life skills necessary to feel ready to pursue higher education.

Struggling with self-doubt , Jae grappled with the decision of whether to pursue their offer at Canterbury University. Feelings of anxiety were holding them back and they couldn’t imagine that they’d be able to fully throw themselves into the university experience in the same way as some of their peers.

Jae’s journey with the Youth Employment Service began after a referral from the Woodbridge Job Centre. Working closely with Simon, they set out to build the confidence and life skills they felt they were lacking. Simon’s recommendation of the Team Programme proved a instrumental in helping Jae overcome social anxiety and develop essential teamwork and communication skills.

Completing the Team Programme was a significant turning point for Jae, enabling them to navigate social situations. Through Simon’s guidance, Jae discovered opportunities for community engagement, including involvement in arts projects at Dove St Studios Open Arts Sessions in Ipswich. Exposure to these experiences, coupled with Simon’s encouragement, ultimately helped Jae to reconsider their decision about not attending university.

Overcoming self-imposed limitations, Jae’s journey saw them develop confidence and a newfound sense of purpose. Their experience shows the importance of seeking guidance and stepping out of your comfort zone to unlock new opportunities. We wish them the best as they head off to Fresher’s Week to start their university experience in Canterbury!

Chloe had a remarkable academic track record highlighted by triple distinction in her Level 3 Business course at Suffolk One. Her dedication and hard work earned her recognition as the most improved student of the year during her time at college but she was at a standstill.

Despite her academic achievements, Chloe faced challenges in navigating the transition from education to the workplace. She struggled to find a job or apprenticeship that aligned with her interests and aspirations and didn’t know what to do to move on to the next stage of her life.

Chloe’s path crossed with Youth Employment Coach, Simon, during a CV workshop in Felixstowe. Recognising Chloe’s potential, Simon provided personalised support in refining her CV and navigating the job market. With the help of YES, Chloe gained confidence and direction in searching and applying for jobs.

Thanks to Simon’s guidance, Chloe successfully secured a position with A&S Recruitment – a testament to her perseverance and the effectiveness of the support we provide young people each and every day. Chloe’s journey from uncertainty to employment shows the importance of support and guidance for young people at transitional periods in their lives.

Chloe’s journey serves as inspiration for others navigating the transition from education to the workforce, and shows the value of mentorship and support in achieving professional goals.

Jasmine uprooted her life when she moved from Wales to Lowestoft three years ago. While in Wales Jasmine struggled in school due to a lack of support around her anxiety. She had very low attendance and left school with lower grades than she was capable of.

She found herself in a new area with very little qualifications, and eventually found a Kickstart scheme through the Job Centre. While this provided some sense of security, once it ended she felt she was back at square one with no plan on how to move forwards.

It was at this point where she met Cathy from Apprenticeships Suffolk who recommended Inspire.

Before meeting Inspire, Jasmine faced several challenges, including a lack of confidence, difficulty in making friends since moving to Suffolk, and the need to improve her interview and leadership skills. These obstacles had hindered her personal and professional development and left her feeling lost.

Working with YES and completing the Team Programme has helped Jasmine to make new friends and it has also hugely improved her confidence. Surprisingly, she discovered her leadership skills, a quality she hadn’t realised she possessed. Working closely with Tony to improve her job skills also allowed her to gain valuable interview skills, which further benefited her professional growth.

After being on Team and working with YES, Jasmine is hoping to start working for Better Healthcare where she will be a support worker working with young people who have learning difficulties. Jasmine’s interview with Better Healthcare went exceedingly well, and she received praise for her impressive performance, highlighting the positive impact of her personal growth and newly acquired skills.

”Everything was fun and helped me to make friends in the area”

Overcoming challenges, Jasmine gained confidence, made new friends, and discovered her strengths. This has allowed her to gain a better understanding on the path she wants to travel with her future career and helped her uncover a passion for helping the community.

Her positive experience showcases the significance of young people having opportunities to hone their skills and discover passions so they can continue on the path to success after education.

Jasmine extends her gratitude to everyone involved in her journey with Inspire and the Youth Employment Service.

When we first met Stephen he was looking for a new direction. During our Step Up course he discovered an interest in Logistics and Shipping and has since turned it into a successful career.

Here’s Stephen’s story:

My name is Stephen and I’m 20 years old. I completed Team Programme, Reignite, NCS and Step Up with Inspire.

I had no confidence and no drive to do anything. I was doing mechanics at college, but I lost my interest and was struggling to find a new career.

I found out about Team programme at the Job Centre and started my 9-month journey with Inspire.

At first, I thought, ‘Can I really do this?’ but after two weeks I was enjoying it so much I wanted to progress through and see where my life went.

I came out of my shell on NCS and went straight on to the Step Up course where Lindsay and Carl from MSC came to speak to us about apprenticeships. I was interested and went for an interview. I went in nervous, but I got more comfortable talking as time went on.

I am now working at MSC in exports and my goal is to complete my apprenticeship and gain a full-time job with the company.

I would like to thank all the Inspire Staff for all they’ve done for me. My life has changed so much. I’ve gained confidence, experience and discovered new opportunities.

Stephen’s commitment to the programmes has led to a well-deserved apprenticeship and he is going from strength to strength. He is a great role model for so many young people who are looking for a second chance.

Before she met Inspire, Marylou was a stay at home mum to her 6-year-old son. She was focussing on job searching at the Job Centre, however her depression was getting the better of her and her confidence was at a real low point. Marylou says that she was even scared of getting a job because of her mental health and confidence issues at the time. Another issue which she faced was having severe dyslexia which stopped her from getting qualifications at school.

Marylou met one of our Inspire youth workers at a job fair who told her all about our programme running in Sudbury for 12 weeks, the Prince’s Trust Team programme, which would most importantly help to build her confidence, build skills needed for work, and give her lots of experiences to allow her to progress onto a positive next step. She thought it sounded like a beneficial thing to do with her time fitting it around job searching and whilst her son was at school. When she got the call to tell her she had a place, she said she was really pleased, but didn’t know what to expect!

At first, she was nervous. She didn’t go on the week-long team activity trip away because she had to look after her son, but she didn’t let that stop her. In the coming weeks her confidence in herself and within her team really grew, something which she now says really surprised her. The course made her put herself into situations out of her comfort zone, including speaking to members of the public to get support for their community projects and work experience placements. She even took the lead with her Supporting Others project, asking people for help and to attend their event to support.

Her work experience placement was the highlight of her time with Inspire. Marylou spent two weeks volunteering at an Oxfam charity shop, working on the tills, cash handling, and sorting stock. She had done this years ago, before her son was born, however she felt like she was in a much better place to do it now with her new-found confidence. She enjoyed this so much, she continued to volunteer at the shop once she had completed the course whilst she was job searching.

She also conquered her fears and stood up in front of a room full of people at her Graduation Presentation at the end of the course, to talk about her journey, how she had overcome her mental health and confidence issues and was now in a much better place in her life.

“They really helped me to believe in myself. I improved my CV and work skills and gained so much confidence. I am so proud of how far I’ve come!”

Since then, Marylou has secured a job at her local McColls convenience store and is really loving working there and having some structure. She currently works 3 evenings at the store and is the first person they will call with overtime opportunities as she has proved herself to be hardworking and willing. She is also now focussing on herself and gaining her qualifications which she didn’t gain at school. She has completed her Level 1 Maths qualification this September and now will be focussing on her Level 2. She has her sights set on achieving her English qualifications too, to help her move up the career ladder and support her son. Her ambitions don’t stop there, with hopes to move up in her career and hopefully become a supervisor in the retail sector.

Annabelle wasn’t doing much before Inspire met her. She attended college the September before for just one day when her anxiety kicked in and got the better of her. She didn’t do anything for about a year following this. She experienced panic attacks every day and wouldn’t leave the house alone. She isolated herself and didn’t speak to anyone, so she started to lose touch with her friends.

It was seeing her friends making something of themselves that spurred her on to do something. She didn’t think she was ready to go back to college and wanted to build her confidence before her next step and shut down her anxiety.

Her mum’s friend recommended the Prince’s Trust Team programme ran by Inspire in Lowestoft, which she was nervous about but soon realised that everyone was in the same boat!

Residential was the pivotal moment for her. She had settled into the group and started to come out of her shell without realising it! She hadn’t done anything like the course before.

She surprised herself by finding that she was enjoying the activities which involved team building, group activities and helping in the community, which included talking to members of the public which she would never have done before.

She tried every new task she was set, even if it was completely out of her comfort zone such as dressing up as a tin of SPAM in the middle of the town centre. Because of Annabelle throwing herself into every task, it meant that others who were also anxious followed suit too.

Part of the reason the course was so great for Annabelle, was that they were always busy doing something and enjoying it that she didn’t have time to worry or be anxious about what was coming next, which she’d usually do.

She says: “I have improved on a lot of skills and qualities over the 12 weeks. These include confidence, teamwork and communication skills as well as many others, these are the ones I value the most. This is because before the course doing teamwork and talking to people was a big fear for me, but now I have a lot more confidence not only when I am with the team but at home also.”

During the course, team members begin to plan for their next step following it. Annabelle knew that she wanted to go back to college but not in a large-sized college environment like before, which she found daunting. She found a course at Access to Music in Norwich to study Digital Media for three years, which would give her three A Levels and enable her to go to University afterwards if she wanted. Annabelle has a really keen interest in photography and film, so this course and college were perfect for her and she was so pleased to get a space!

Annabelle has held on to the confidence she developed on Team programme and continued to push and challenge herself to achieve bigger and better things. She completed her first year to an extremely high standard and is now in her second year at college and is really enjoying it.

She has started to look at Universities for Film Studies courses and has some interviews lined up. She has a good group of friends who she goes out with regularly, she has developed her social wellbeing and now supports others who are feeling down and anxious about things within her peer group. Annabelle continues to be an inspiration as she agreed to take part in filming for Inspire to encourage other to take up the opportunities we provide so they too can reap the benefits she has experiences.

“Inspire made me realise that your problems don’t define who you are and shouldn’t stop you from doing what you want to do”

Following the programme, her parents said that Annabelle had become a completely new person. She has such a massive boost in confidence and it was making such a difference to her entire life and others around her too! During the 12 weeks on Team, she developed from an incredibly shy girl who barely spoke during her initial interview to a confident young lady who was ready to take on the challenges life was going to throw at her.

Luke was born with a 4% chance to live due to a heart condition and just wanted to be treated like everyone else. He joined Inspire to make new friends as his recent move to Felixstowe had meant he’d had to leave his old life behind.

Here is Luke’s story:

My name is Luke Chambers, I am 21 years old.

Before I started Team Programme, I moved from Harlow to Felixstowe. I was worried I wouldn’t make any friends as I was leaving 20 years of my life behind.

I did the Team Programme to meet new people. I have speech problems, cerebral palsy and left-side weakness, so I was always conscious of what people would think of how I walked and how I spoke.

I really liked working as a group during the programme as it was then that we got to know each other and I met one of my close friends.

I had to have an operation half way through the course and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to finish because I thought I’d need to stay at home for a few weeks to recover. After I did my work experience I went straight into the operation. While I was in hospital, all the team were texting me and I was keen to come back to show everyone who was worried about me that, if I can come back from the operation, nothing can stop you.

The tutors helped me get a job at Tescos – I’ve been there for 7 months now and have been able to make even more friends. The experience helped me develop my social skills and my confidence in myself. Before I didn’t have much confidence as I kept applying from jobs and never heard back and was starting to get depressed.

Inspire helped me become who I am now – I couldn’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me.

Luke recently won Inspirational Young Person at the Inspire Staff and Student Awards. His determination to set down solid foundations and overcome challenges is inspirational and we can’t wait to see what he does next!

George recently completed his apprenticeship with Inspire. He was a valued member of the Sports Team and, despite struggling to find his way in education, he really shone during his time with us.

This is George’s story..

“I was 15 years-old when I suddenly lost my dad. He took his own life. Throughout the last year at school I struggled with everything and didn’t know what I wanted to do. I attended Suffolk One, Suffolk New College and Copleston Sixth Form but it didn’t work out. My mental health suffered.

I had always loved watching sports and spending time with family and friends but I was feeling a bit lonely. My sister was away at university and I felt I had to be strong for my mum.

From the first day I joined Inspire, everyone was so friendly and welcoming. There was always someone to talk to if you had a problem. Being at Inspire has helped with my confidence, self-esteem and gave me a purpose and something to focus on.

Working with disabled young people, in particular, was very rewarding. I loved being part of the team and helping at Inspire’s events. I even organised a few staff trips to Bella Napoli’s!

I am now looking forward to Camp Canada.

I’d like to thank everyone at Inspire, including Emily, Ashleigh, Adam, Andy and the Sports Team for always being there and keeping me smiling.

I would definitely recommend an Inspire Apprenticeship to others, it is a rewarding experience which sets you up for life.”

We are proud of George and his exceptional journey. We look forward to following his next steps and are sure he’ll be exceptional at whatever he turns his hand to.

When he met Inspire, Cole was living in a hostel and wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to complete Team Programme. Cole’s anxiety and depression were holding him back from everyday challenges and he couldn’t even face getting on a bus.
Before Team Programme, I wasn’t doing much. I was floating around, volunteering and just watching the days go by really. I was in supported living for 5 years and every day was the same – there was nothing to do. My confidence was extremely low, I had no self-esteem, my anxiety was through the roof, I couldn’t even get on a bus.

At first, Team Programme was strange. I didn’t know if I could do it and the residential pushed me. I had to go away with people I didn’t know… it was very daunting. After a while, I started to get into the right mindset to push through. I was there to progress, to make something, to start building my life.

When we got back from the residential I was fully engaged and started to move forward. I thought if I can do one week with people I don’t know, what’s going to stop you?

Since finishing Team Programme, there have been massive improvements. I applied for an apprenticeship and succeeded – I’m really enjoying it. It’s now a case of propelling it forward, but without Team I wouldn’t have had the mindset to do it. It helped me hugely.

I’d like to thank Inspire as without this organisation you wouldn’t have been able to help me, or the hundreds, if not thousands of young people you already have.

During his time with Inspire, Cole’s pushed past the negativity and has gone on to achieve so many great things. He is now completing an apprenticeship at Suffolk County Council and is going from strength to strength.

Sam is a young man from Ipswich. Due to rent arrears, Sam found himself homeless for quite a few months. With no family connections in Suffolk, he found himself sofa surfing or staying overnight on the streets, with nowhere to call home and at a dead end before he joined Inspire.

Sam joined our Inspire Prince’s Trust Team programme initially to have something to keep him off the streets whilst he was homeless but quickly realised that he wanted to stick at it to build his skills and get onto a secure path in his life.

The team bonded and formed a strong group to take on the challenges which faced them all. Through the course and his work experience coaching children on sports holiday camps, Sam realised that he really enjoyed helping people to learn to do things.

During the course, Sam found a secure place to live at Christchurch House and attended an interview and gained a full-time job for a new trampoline park opening in Ipswich. He is really excited that the course has allowed him to realise and pursue his dream of sports coaching.

Sam says:

“I am enjoying having a routine and stability in my days, which I didn’t have before. I have grown as a person and feel like I’ve come so far.”

Sam plans to continue working at the trampoline park and build his career in coaching and has aims to move out of his supported housing into his own flat in the near future.

Ryan Taylor took part in our Team Programme run in conjunction with the Prince’s Trust at the start of 2014. With the help of Inspire, Ryan found his path and motivation and has a secure job at Total Car Parks.

He left High School with minimal qualifications – not due to lack of ability but more to do with the consistent conflict with teachers. Ryan was eventually excluded and moved to a nearby college where he had no choice but to do a course which had no interest in him.

With bills to pay and his partner who was expecting a baby to support, Ryan became self-employed and carried out some work travelling the country doing door to door sales. He experienced success for 18 months however, the demand dwindled and he was ended up priced out of the industry.

After an 8-month period of unemployment, Ryan found it frustrating looking for work as being self-employed left him with no references. His partner was pregnant again and the importance for him becoming employed became ever more essential. Ryan signed on at the Job Centre and began claiming Job Seekers Allowance. It was at this time that Ryan met his future Team Leader (Andy Crump from Inspire) in the Job Centre where they spoke about their Prince’s Trust Team programme and the value in re-gathering his career direction to get consistency for him to support his family with real motivation to get an outcome. Team is our 12-week programme in partnership with the Prince’s Trust, which works with 16-25 year olds who are not in education, employment or training to support young people onto a positive path whilst gaining new skills, work experience, and a recognised qualification.

Ryan admits that before the course he had not thought much about his future.

“Before I met Andy (from Inspire) I would spend my days just sitting on the couch at my family’s house, eating their food and having no direction in my life – I was also three stone heavier then too!”

Whilst completing Team Programme with Inspire, Ryan joined a relatively young team with the motivation to make the most out of his opportunity and not waste any more time on his erratic journey since leaving education. During the first week, it was clear that Ryan would become a well-respected team member due to his calm persona. Younger members of the group quickly attached themselves to him whilst showing glimpses of being able to not only support his peers but lead in group tasks with confidence.

Ryan took an opportunity with Total Car Parks for his work placement. This placement could not of been more successful and Ryan fitted straight in to the organisation and made such an impression utilising his interpersonal skills in customer service and was offered immediate employment from Total Car Parks. Understanding the importance of the programme, TCP’s agreed to hold Ryan’s offer until he completed the programme. Ryan flew through the rest of the programme, continuing to support his peers in their own personal journeys and on graduating was able to accept the opportunity of full-time employment.

To date, Ryan is still at Total Car Parks. He is now working in “New Business” generating new opportunities and creating new business contacts. He has also been given the responsibility of their website and design work for the company. His MD also entered him for an award at the British Parking Association Awards, as the “Young Parking Professional of the Year” and was really delighted to be considered for such recognition.

Since the arrival of his Son and his Second child, Ryan and his family have moved into a place in Ipswich and he feels really positive about his life, both family and work included. Ryan didn’t know what direction he was going to take and where Team programme would lead him, but he has found a supportive and positive working environment for him to develop within and still has plans to continue to progress within his new career.

Since finishing the course himself, Ryan has supported many more Team programmes. He often visits programmes with his MD to do motivational talks about his experience to help motivate them that they can achieve and be successful just like he did. This has been invaluable as it is told no better than from someone who has experienced it already.

“Since I graduated I’m much slimmer and I have a structure to my life. Every day I get up early and have a job with Total Car Parks, so I also have money to spend on my new family.”

A group of young people from our Team programme in Leiston have transformed the garden and woodland area at Leiston Primary School.

The Prince’s Trust Team programme is one of our leading programmes supporting 16-25-year-olds who are not currently in employment, education or training. As part of the programme, our young people take on a project to benefit their local community. They decided on the area at the Primary School because they were keen to engage with the local community to turn around many of the pre-conceptions the town had about young people.

They cleared the garden areas of overgrown plants and trees, made a seating circle for the children and brightened up the area by painting characters on trees and adding plants. They worked hard to improve the area which boosted their confidence and achievement in themselves and as a Team. There was a real sense of pride in all that they were able to achieve and the long-lasting benefit they have given to the school and the local community.

Neil Fox, Leiston Team Leader from Inspire said:

“The team has worked incredibly hard to complete this project and are really happy with the transformation of the garden. The aim of the programme is to create a more positive progression route for the young people who take part. This section of the course is so important for giving the members confidence in themselves and their skills, working as a team and feeling a sense of pride in something that they have created.”

As well as the community project, the students go on a residential activity trip, take part in work placements, engage with local companies and learn skills for work including CV building. On completion of the course they achieve a nationally recognised certificate from the Prince’s Trust in Employment, Teamwork and Community Skills.

Our charity works hard to deliver the Team programme across Suffolk in partnership with The Prince’s Trust, which helps young people improve their confidence and self-esteem as they look to move on to new opportunities in employment, education or training. Find out more about the programme and where there is one near you here.

Team programme runs across Suffolk in Ipswich, Stowmarket, Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill, and Coastal. To enquire about the programme, find the contact for your location here.

Before Inspire met Jodie, she had left her job to care for her mum. Jodie was working in a residential care home for the elderly, which was becoming very intense at the same time as balancing the pressures of caring for her mum, which made her stress and anxiety levels soar. She then became ill herself, so they were both acting as carers for each other!

Jodie focussed all of her energy and time on caring for her mum, which although it was very tiring for her, she found it really rewarding and had been a family carer for over 8 years since she was 14 years old. As time went on her mum started to become more independent and Jodie started to get better herself, and so she decided now was the time to put some focus on herself and pursue her career route.

Unfortunately, her job search was unsuccessful due to her health issues, which is when she discovered Inspire’s Prince’s Trust Team programme to work on her confidence and build her skills. Prior to joining the 12-week programme, Jodie was nervous about the social aspect of the course, due to not socialising with anyone outside of her family for a whole year since leaving her previous job. She said “being stuck at home with the same four walls was making me go mad”.

A natural leader appeared in Jodie and a commanding voice emerged that she didn’t know she had. She successfully led the team through a fantastic community project at Leading Lives, a centre supporting adults with learning disabilities in Suffolk, transforming their garden alongside the centre’s users. She also excelled at her work experience with a charity, Avenues East, running activities for people with disabilities, which took her out of her comfort zone and got her into a routine, but most importantly helped her to realise which career path she’d like to take. The rest of the team relied on Jodie as a leader, supporting her peers to get over their barriers as well as her own.

“Before the course, I wasn’t leaving the house. I was anxious, socially awkward and wouldn’t have spoken to anyone. Now I am a lot more confident, I can talk about my past and my journey and feel more open to talking to people that I haven’t met before”

Jodie embraced every challenge that faced her. She was nervous that her health may inhibit her during the programme, but she didn’t miss a day and started to realise that she was capable of many things and that her health wouldn’t hold her back any longer. Jodie’s mum was a key part of her journey too, pushing her to come onto the programme above Jodie caring for her and she really enjoyed seeing Jodie do something for herself.

Following finishing Team programme, Jodie spent a week volunteering with Avenues East on a trip to Mersea Island, supporting people with disabilities as one of the leaders and caring for them all day and night. She now has a job at Leading Lives working as a Support Worker where she has been there for over a year. She now appreciates how important it is to focus on herself as well as others and realises that she was neglecting herself before she joined Inspire.

“I feel very proud of where I am now. Before I was always very down and low, but now I feel happy and positive a lot of the time. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Jodie wants her story of inner strength to inspire other young carers and young people who have challenges to overcome. She feels that she has come so far and is excited for the future.

“I feel like Inspire saved my life. It really helped me to feel motivated and do something”

Jessica met Inspire in 2013 when she felt like she was at a dead end. These days she takes extreme pride in the work she does and encourages every individual to meet their goals, but this is a long way off the girl who joined Inspire’s Team programme.

In 2013, when Jessica met Inspire, she had dropped out of college where she was studying sports science. It felt like everything had fallen apart around her; her entire family had broken apart and she was kicked out of home. Her confidence had been hit, she felt like there was no hope and she was going to end up in at a dead end with no ambitions.

She joined our Prince’s Trust Team programme very reluctantly but began to find herself again with her new ‘team’. The first phase of the course at an Activity Centre allowed her to uncover skills that she thought she’d lost, rediscovering her leadership and communication abilities.

During the physical exercise part of the residential week, Jessica re-ignited her passion for sports and fitness, realising that this was still a career she would like to pursue and with the support from Inspire, there was an opportunity to follow this.

Jess was keen to complete her work placement at a local gym to start her sports career. She was nervous, but grabbed the opportunity and offered herself to work as much as she could to enable her to get the most out of her work experience as possible. The management was so impressed with Jess that they offered her a position as an Apprentice Gym Instructor. She accepted and started immediately, balancing work with finishing Team programme with Inspire. She gained her qualification in Employment, Teamwork and Community Skills whilst starting her new fitness instructor qualification at the same time.

“By completing the Team programme, I really got my confidence back and developed my social skills.”

Since finishing Team programme, Jessica has remained employed at the gym and is now a fully qualified Gym Instructor (Level 2) as well as completing various other qualifications.

“I felt like an absolute failure before having dropped out of college and every relationship around me seemingly breaking down. Inspire really got me out of the slump that I was in. They had belief in me when I did not believe in myself.”

Jessica recognises the challenges and difficulties people can face and understands how easy it is for people to get stuck in a rut and feel down about themselves. She enjoys being able to provide motivation and belief to others that they can achieve, just like Inspire did for her.

“I was at the point of self-destruction; Team programme really did help me from going down the wrong path. It made me find the direction in life that I had lost!”

When college ended, Eugenie realised she didn’t know what to do next. Many of her classmates were heading off to university but this was something that had never appealed to her. Instead, she was keen to start a career but she had no idea where to start. This wasn’t the only challenge Eugenie was facing – the nation was in lockdown and many companies were making redundancies, much less taking on new staff, so she knew it would be an uphill battle.

When she received her A-Level results, Eugenie spoke to a career advisor at the college and was told about Inspire and the work they do with young people. They agreed that the courses be a good opportunity to help her build her CV, stand out from the competition, and show employers that she was keen to learn despite her lack of experience.

“Academically I did alright and came out with fairly good passes. I could have gone to university if I had wanted to, but I just knew it wasn’t for me. Because I had no employment history, I thought I have to start somewhere, so I chose to do some courses with Inspire.”

The first course she took was Step Up Apprenticeships where she reviewed her CV and practised her interview skills. At this point, coronavirus restrictions were easing, and she quickly realised she had missed interacting with people and learning new things. Eugenie was really glad to have a sense of direction and, during her 2 weeks on the course, came out of her shell and found that she felt a lot happier – she was moving forward again.

“A lot of it was working on employability and recognising what I was good at, which helped me. In the past I had put myself down a lot and didn’t see what I could do as terribly special. Doing the course helped me realise that I have strengths that are beneficial to an employer.”

At college, she’d always enjoyed Maths and Electronics, so her tutor recommended the Step Up Construction course as her next step. Almost immediately it ignited a passion in her and she was determined to start a career in the industry. Construction and Engineering was something that played to Eugenie’s strengths and, despite being one of the first women to take the course, she felt incredibly at home. She passed the course with flying colours, earning a CSCS card and qualifications in Health and Safety.

“I think it’s important to realise that whatever gender you are, you shouldn’t feel pushed into certain roles based on it. If you’ve got the skill for it, you’re a valuable asset and people will recognise it.”

With the help of skills she gained, Eugenie quickly secured a job with a local company as a trainee engineer, where she is now developing a system to monitor stock levels of components. Her employer explained that what she lacked in experience, she made up for in work ethic and by taking the steps to gain qualifications, she had shown initiative which helped her stand out from other candidates.

“Before I started I had absolutely no CV, especially not one I would be proud of anyway. To have learnt how to do it has helped me tremendously, it’s a very important thing to get right. When employers see I have a CSCS card, they see me as someone who is willing, is committed to that line of work and has potential. I’ve become more of a desirable candidate to companies as they don’t have to train me up.

After this, I may either go in to further training or my biggest hope is to land an apprenticeship. If it goes well where I work, I’d like to continue in this line of engineering, but I’m open-minded. I quite like the idea of nuclear engineering, so that’s a possibility”

For others who are thinking of taking the course, Eugenie has some words of advice…

If you struggle with confidence issues or finding a job, I would certainly recommend Inspire. I thought my CV would be completely hopeless, but the course showed me otherwise. If you’re feeling hopeless, it will show you that you can do it – if I can you can!