Emma completed a personal development programme with The Prince’s Trust, which worked on her teamwork skills, and she took part in an All Worth It session to build her confidence.

Although Emma wanted to go into further education, she had to improve her employability skills to secure a part-time job, so she decided to put herself forward for another course with The Trust. This would allow her to learn key skills for future jobs, she was really enjoying the course when lockdown was announced.

“I found this difficult to deal with. Lockdown meant I had to make drastic changes to my routine, and my anxiety and depression began to get much worse but thankfully I started to get a wellbeing call from The Prince’s Trust twice a week.

“We chat about how I am, and we discuss ways to manage my mental health. This has been so important for me to maintain good mental health as I feel less isolated and I am still making progress.”

While previously Emma would struggle to talk to strangers, she is now getting to grips with online group sessions that The Trust runs and is beginning to make friends.

Being part of The Prince’s Trust and building friendships means that I feel comfortable in my own skin for the first time in my life. My confidence has improved, and I have hope for the future. I’m going to continue to work on my employability and personal skills so I’m in a good place to start Stirling University later this year.