George grew up in his Leiston whole life, he went to a pru school in Lowestoft. Prior to gaining his new role, George had a variety of jobs. Before he started working with YES, he wasn’t getting into work because he was just generally struggling and at times found is hard to find work or a job he wanted to do.

Day to day before YES, George was looking for work but said it never went past the CV or application point, which was a real struggle for him.

Simon spent time with George practising interview skills which not only built his confidence but gave me the confidence to ask questions especially as he had never done an interview before. Simon was able to help on areas that he was not so confident on which allowed him to thrive and get past the application stage.

George was offered a Night Warden Role and has already started. Good Luck George.

After losing her last job in 2022, Francesca felt like she had no hope in finding a new job. She felt isolated and had no confidence with leaving the house and was suffering from anxiety and lacked in confidence.

Francesca was referred to YES via our wellbeing service, she started working with Matt on a 121 basis and having these sessions allowed for her to get out of the house and build up her confidence. Matt was able to understand her needs of lacking in confidence and self-belief and listened to what she needed. At first the sessions focused on identifying personal values and learning to be assertive as the sessions progressed, the change in Francesca was huge and she was starting to believe in herself much more. The session then focused on career direction and there were many discussions on possible next steps and

Matt and Francesca looked at different sectors that Francesca was interested in. After working on her CV and building her confidence, she started to apply for jobs, one job in particular was the East Suffolk ambulance service. She was asked for an interview, which Matt tailored his sessions to focus on interview skills and prepare Francesca as much as possible for her interview.

Francesca’s interview went really well and she was offered the role of care assistant for East Suffolk Ambulance Service and will be trained in medical care response and advanced driving including blue light training. Not only has Francesca being able to start her life again but she can leave the house, she feels more confident and she can’t wait to start her new role.

Tarly joined us in October 2022, Simon was working with her for a few months to help build her confidence and support her onto her next steps.

Tarly has been in and out of foster care, which has resulted in her having low confidence and anxiety. She struggled at both school and college and dropped out when she felt college was not supporting her needs. Although she enjoyed her course, the college environment was too much and she struggled to focus.

Although Tarly hasn’t had much experience in the employment space, she is devoted to becoming a carer. Being in foster care, she has had lots of younger children she has always looked after, she was not sure what direction she wanted to follow but after numerous sessions Simon saw her passion and skill she had to thrive in the care sector.

Tarly is a young person who wants to share her journey in the hopes it will help others.

‘Simon reassured me that having an interview was not that bad and having that supportive person to guide me.. There are people out there who are afraid and embarrassed to ask for help but it is okay to ask for support and help. It is nice to know people are there to help‘.

Simon works closely with the DWP in Leiston, who has said they cannot believe the transformation in Tarly.

Good Luck in your new Job Tarly.

Millie came into YES wanting to start her career. She was ready and willing to work hard but just couldn’t find the right opportunities and struggled to understand where she was going wrong. Millie worked with Simon for a short period to look at her CV and areas where she needed support. Millie said she gave up looking for a job because her confidence was knocked after not hearing back from companies. Since starting with Simon, Millie had regular sessions which looked at her CV, interview techniques and much more. Simon encouraged Millie to apply for an apprenticeship role which she never thought of doing and was offered the role. ‘I applied for a Job that Simon suggested I go for and I got the job!’

‘I feel more confident because I didn’t think I would be able to be successful in an interview let alone get the job. Simon gave me a template and supported me on how to answer questions and give me confidence to be successful in that interview.’

‘Before YES, the biggest barrier for me was I didn’t get on with college, and I felt like it was stopping me from progressing’.

Not only has Millie gained more confidence in her ability but been able to secure a job she cannot wait to start. Good Luck Millie.

Matthew is someone who likes to spend time with his family and friends. He was staying at home and going out with friends also finding little jobs to help his dad with at home. Matthew lacked direction and felt like he was stuck in a rut also he lacked confidence and was in a position of struggling to find work. The main reason for this seemed to be Matthew’s confidence in interviews.

Matthew was then referred to the Youth Employment Service directly from the DWP. After explaining his situation to our Youth Employment Coach Matt, they booked some 121 sessions where they could focus solely on Matthew’s needs. They began by doing some sessions centred around interview skills and mock interviews focusing on the popular questions and how to break them down. They even roleplayed them and rotated the questions for each scenario. Matt could see from this that Matthew’s confidence was starting to emerge. He could see he wasn’t so worried about each question that he was going to face.

Matt and Matthew also had a session where they were able to look over Matthew’s CV making a few minor adjustments so that this would stand out.

While all of this was happening, Matthew was also going through some personal challenges and during a 121 with Matt, Matthew was visibly not himself.  Matt made it his focus this session to be a listening ear and provide him with any extra support he needed as he could tell that Matthew was going through a tough time. This session was very important for Matthew and helped him to continue moving forward with all the new skills he had been learning in his other 121 sessions.

From this Matthew got busy applying for jobs he had seen, and he did receive invitations to a few additional interviews from this.

Not long after one of the employers offered Matthew a job working as a kitchen assistant/pot washer at a restaurant called The Last Anchor. he now works 20 hours per week and they have offered to teach him the ropes in the kitchen with the potential to learn so much more.

His time with YES meant that Matthew was able to build up his confidence huge amounts and now finds himself not so worried about speaking to new people. This not only has helped him in the world of work it has also allowed him to make new friends in the process. Because of YES Matthew was also able to learn a lot of new skills including improving his confidence which he was able to use to his advantage in interviews.

Matthew would like to thank Matt his coach for all his support. He would also like to thank his friends and his parents for pushing him to keep on going and get himself a job.

Coaches Comments:

“Matthew is really flourishing in his new role as a kitchen assistant, and I visited him in his new place of work it’s a really nice restaurant on Quay in Ipswich and met some of his team who were really accommodating of my visit.”

Before joining YES, Ross felt lost and unsure of his next steps. He was constantly rejected by businesses and felt like he wasn’t given a chance, and it really knocked his confidence. Ross started working with Elisha, who guided and helped him understand what options were available and supported him in updating his CV alongside looking at skills building to build is confidence. ‘I feel so more confident and have a better understanding of my next steps.

Elisha supported Ross in securing a role as a gardening assistant, which is a role he felt really passionate about. He has been with YES for a while and was very particular about what he wanted to do but he has persevered and has finally got his dream job.

‘I would tell all young people to go for it, it gives you more guidance and helps you understand your next steps.’

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.