28-year-old Patrice was born and raised in London and is a proactive person. Early in her journey as a new Mum, she struggled with postnatal depression, was unfairly treated by healthcare workers and had to deal with the stigma from people in her own ethnic and religious community. When she tried to apply for jobs, she was constantly met with closed doors or just didn’t get any feedback.

Having previously heard about The Prince’s Trust through friends, she applied for support and started her journey on the Exploring Enterprise Programme. Patrice knew that they were the best people to help her find a new direction. During lockdown, Patrice saw that the Get Started with Make Up programme was for young people up to the age of 30. She was excited to join the programme, as she had waited for this course to become available, and despite some technology issues, she attended every day. Her persistence and positive attitude impressed everyone on the course.

After the programme, Patrice completed another course with The Prince’s Trust, Get Started with Afro-Caribbean Hair.

My favourite parts of the programme were when we had to do more practical work. I loved being able to practice on the doll heads and do different hairstyles on them. I learnt that the strand of someone’s hair can tell a lot about a person, different hair tools and their uses, and I was taught to remind myself that I am doing my best and that is enough!

Patrice has also completed external courses on attaining complete hair and makeup skills within the TV and film industry, as well as free nail courses with The Gel Bottle Academy, which now makes her a Qualified Hair and Makeup Artist & Nail Technician. She has now progressed through The Prince’s Trust’s Enterprise programme and has received a grant to help her purchase items as a hair and makeup artist. She also has a business mentor to help her business get started.

I am still receiving support through The Prince’s Trust in order to launch my cosmetics business which I hope to launch early next year. I have also started paid work as a hair and makeup trainee working within TV and film, and as a Hairstylist Assistant with celebrity hairstylist Lorraine Dublin at her salon in central London

Patrice says, “I cannot thank The Prince’s Trust enough! With their help and support things have started to move in the right direction”.