Two years ago Anissa, took part in our Get into Retail programme with Gap. Since then she's been promoted to Key Holder and now supports young people who have been taking part in the Manchester programmes.

"I moved to the UK when I was 19. Moving wasn’t easy to start with; I was living in temporary accommodation, in quite a disruptive environment, with people living there who were taking drugs and partying. It was a tricky place to live. 

"I was feeling really low and facing depression after this experience and, on top of this, facing a number of setbacks in trying to find work. 

The Prince’s Trust helped me by getting me out of the rut I was stuck in. I wasn’t feeling very positive about finding work but the team supported me and gave me the opportunity to work with Gap four years ago now.  

"Working at Gap really has changed my life. I've made lots of friends working in-store. I realised I had a passion for customer service and loved helping people. 

"I found that Gap was a company where I could progress so I worked towards becoming a Key Holder. Having the team believe in me and give me keys to the store really boosted my confidence too. 

"At first, I was very shy and didn’t want to try anything new, I was very quiet and had very low confidence. I hesitated going through the programme with GAP but I was constantly surrounded by people who supported and had confidence in me. I was taught key skills that not only helped me in the workplace but also in life, my confidence grew and so did my passion for retail.  

"As sad as it was leaving GAP, my future seemed bright with the key skills and experiences I’ve learnt, I applied for a full-time role at a newly established company (Uniqlo) and I am working my way up to being a supervisor. I’m using all the skills I’ve learnt with The Prince’s Trust and GAP, it has helped a lot! 

"A year later, I gave birth to a beautiful little boy, I struggled at first being a new mum and decided to take a break. I was unemployed for a couple of months. During this time my mental health deteriorated, the global pandemic was a struggle and I found myself stuck in a rut. I was still in contact with The Prince’s Trust and was assigned a mentor, in hopes to get myself back on track. My mentor was there to help me get back into employment, but she helped me in so many more ways. My mentor was there to lend an ear and helped me build my confidence back up again. I decided to return back to my previous job and do the best I can! I’ve realised how much I missed working - specifically in retail!  

Everyday is challenging but I have confidence in the future, I am so blessed to have a little boy! I’ve learnt that there will always be ups and downs but I’m strong enough to push through it!  

"I am still volunteering with The Prince’s Trust, I’ve done some amazing work with them. I’ve recently interview Gareth Southgate which was so exciting! I’m looking forward to the future with The Prince’s Trust, they have always been there for me at my darkest times and I am so thankful for all their support!  

"If I could say one thing to anyone who is thinking about joining The Prince’s Trust I would tell them to go for it! I was so scared at first, but the support I received was amazing. The Prince’s Trust taught me that I could achieve anything, no matter who I was or where I came from, as long as I believed in myself."