Megan dropped out of school & lost all her confidence.

“I was bullied in sixth form, I felt like all my friends and even teachers turned their back on me. I remember the moment my Art teacher told me I would probably fail everything. That was when I decided to drop out. I’m dyslexic and I felt like I had been let down by the education system so many times. It wears you down. I had lost all my self-esteem.

“The situation had gotten so bad that my mum and I decided to move to Gloucestershire to start a fresh. I was at a point in my life where I didn’t care about anything anymore, my mental health was on the floor. I was new to the area and my social skills were just non-existent. My mum described me as; incredibly antisocial and not wanting to make friends. I had no qualifications or real experience and I couldn’t get a job. It was my mum who signed me up to Young Gloucestershire and their Prince’s Trust Programme. I did not want to do it, but I also didn’t want to let her down.

“I was so anxious. I remember as I walked in, my team leader was really enthusiastic and as I looked around I saw everyone else was just as nervous as me. It was the first time I had ever really mixed with such a variety of people from all different cultures and backgrounds. The programme showed me that you can come from any walk of life and be a nice person.

“The twelve weeks I spent with YG had a huge impact on my self-esteem and ultimately my future. I had opportunities to work in a team, to act as a leader, to gain work experience and discover my strengths. I started to feel proud of myself. Every time I achieved something it just made me want to do more.

“I still have my team leader’s voice in my head now. Whenever I come up against a challenge I hear her saying ‘Go on Meg, you got this!’ After working with YG I decided I would go back to college and I set my sights on University. I wanted to meet more new people and continue to rediscover myself. I graduated from Cardiff Metropolitan University six months ago and I am currently working in retail for an independent brand who value diversity. I love my job and I have ambitions to climb to management. I know what’s important to me.

“The experience really stands out on my CV; in my uni application, job interviews I always get asked about it. It has really helped me to have such a vast and unique experience that taught me a lot about myself, my strengths and the world around me.

“I genuinely believe YG changed my life. Without my time there I would not have gone to college or University and I don’t think I would have rediscovered my self-confidence and found the belief I have in myself now. At the end of the program we had to give a presentation about our experience. Public speaking really scares me and I was so nervous. I have had to do lots of presentations since then and whenever I get nervous, I remember that presentation with YG and how proud my mum, my nan and my team leader were and I carry that feeling with me.”