Nathan Harper
Nathan always felt that his physical disability was holding him back before he enrolled on a Prince’s Trust personal development programme. The generosity of supporters inspired him to not give up on his dream career.
Help us support more young people like Nathan
“I was born with cerebral palsy, which means my mobility and communication are particularly affected. This made life difficult for me, and I’d often get frustrated and angry with myself.
That was until I found out about The Prince’s Trust 12-week Team programme. I wanted to build my confidence, make friends and develop strategies for handling different situations. I met the brilliant staff and other young people like me, who supported me to do things I would have never imagined before.
Activities included a team residential trip to the New Forest where we were encouraged to plan and cook our meals, carried out a community project of painting, sanding and gardening at a daycentre for severely disabled young adults as well as upcycling a set of deckchairs from Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 that are currently being auctioned to raise money for The Trust. I presented all that we did over the 12 weeks to an audience at Carnival House. I couldn’t believe it a few months later when our Team won a Prince’s Trust Award for our community project!
I had continued to dream of a career in travel, and Carnival UK got in touch and invited me to a series of assessment days. The activities ranged from preparing for and undertaking an interview with their resourcing team, to learning all about the organisation and going on board!
Initially I took part in a two week work placement, where I went around the shoreside business, completed different tasks and shadowed the team in different departments e.g. post room, accounts, maritime, and the call centre. I really enjoyed it!
Then I was able to secure a job working for the Carnival UK Facilities and Accounts Payable team. It is a fantastic experience working and supporting the goings-on of one of the leading figures in the cruise industry.
The advice I would give to anyone who ends up in the same position that I was in, is to never give up on trying to achieve what your dreams are. I’m a big believer of following your dreams and trying the best you can to achieve them whatever your challenges in life.”
Discover more about The Prince’s Trust’s partnership with Cunard.