Joe Bateman
Before 16-year-old Joe came to The
Prince’s Trust, he had faced long term bullying at school resulting
in anxiety problems. With the support of an xl club,
Joe overcame his fears and now works part time with
plans to attend agricultural college.
Joe's classmates treated him as a social outcast and
the bullying became so intolerable Joe struggled to attend school.
This had a huge impact on his confidence and self esteem.
He developed anxiety attacks about leaving his house and needed
the support of his mother to make basic decisions in his daily
life. As Joe began to avoid school and spend more time in his room,
his feelings of isolation increased. He had difficulty sleeping and
began to self harm to cope with his depression.
Joe hit rock bottom when he began to have suicidal thoughts.
Hoping to pull himself out of his depression, he signed up to The
Prince’s Trust xl club, which helps young people who are struggling
at school, giving them confidence and motivation.
His involvement in the programme helped him regain his
confidence and self belief. He was eager to gain knowledge and soon
became an inspirational speaker and supportive member of the club.
He was enthusiastic about every opportunity and volunteered for
many xl events including the Christmas Fair. He even faced his fear
of horses when he was given the opportunity to take a horse
management course on Bryanston Farm.
With the support of the club, Joe is now awaiting the results of
his GCSEs – a huge achievement for a young man who had no
confidence to take exams and expected to leave school with no
qualifications. Having thoroughly enjoyed his course at Bryanston
Farm and overcome his fears, Joe now works there part time and
plans to attend agricultural college to learn equine studies.
Joe said:
Thanks to The Prince’s Trust, I not only gained
the confidence to face my fears, I was also given the opportunity
to find my passion. Now I am on a path towards a positive future
and I am ready to deal with any difficulties that come my
way.
Champions
We would like to acknowledge the individuals or organisations
who have played a key role in helping this young person achieve
success through their Prince’s Trust programme.
- Jane Hutton, Sherborne Learning
Centre
- Phil Perry, Sherborne Learning
Centre