A new report warns that young people growing up without a daily structure, such as regular bedtimes, are more likely to struggle at school and face lower self-confidence.
LAUREN ARCHELL looks at how the Prince’s Trust has been working to help establish routine in the lives of teenagers, and how the charity has helped youngsters locally.
Established in 1976, The Prince’s Trust was created to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people in the UK.
Thirty-six years later, it has since become the country’s leading youth charity, offering a range of opportunities including training, personal development, business start-up support, mentoring and advice.
This week, the Trust released the findings of their fourth annual youth index which gauges how young people feel about their lives.
Based on interviews with 2,136 16-25 year-olds in the UK, the report reveals that almost one in ten young people in the east of England feel their days ‘lacked structure and direction’ and as a result were less content and confident than their peers.
The study also revealed that almost one in four of those questioned, ‘always’ or ‘often’ feel down or depressed.
This research marks the launch of the Trust’s largest ever consultation with teachers and practitioners, exploring the support the charity need to help the hardest-to-reach pupils.
The findings of the consultation will be presented to the Government later this year.
Graham Ball (above right), regional director of The Prince’s Trust in the east of England, said: “We know from our work with young people in Luton that the absence of structure and routine in a young life can have a devastating impact. Without the right support, directionless teenagers can become lost young adults – unconfident, under-qualified and unemployed.
“Our programmes, give the hardest-to-reach young people intense, structured support – helping to prevent potential drop-outs and exclusions.”
One such programme is the ‘xl club’, an in-school personal development programme, that aims to help those aged between 13-19 re-engage with learning and improve their chances of completing compulsory education.
With an emphasis on youth-led learning, this is a programme designed and led by the very people it aims to help.
One person who has benefited from attending a Prince’s Trust ‘xl club’ is Charlotte Golledge from Luton (pictured above).
After experiencing traumatic family difficulties, Charlotte entered the care system, before moving to live with her greataunt and uncle under a residents’ order.
A lack of structure in her early years affected her throughout her childhood and had a negative impact on her education.
She said: “I was in quite a dark place while I was at school and suffered with depression.
“I didn’t really have any friends and I was bullied because I had a different home set-up and didn’t live with my parents like everyone else.”
However, a turning point came when Charlotte was 14 and her teachers suggested she join The Prince’s Trust xl club.
She took part in activities to improve her confidence, motivation and communication skills and within weeks her grades started to improve.
She said: “My schoolwork started to improve, and not only that, but the support and guidance I received from my advisor meant that my confidence was growing.
“I was so used to feeling like I wasn’t going anywhere it was a huge change and I started to feel so much happier about my life.”
Charlotte left school and the xl club with her GCSEs and an offer to study Level 1 Animal Care at college.
She said: “I was really proud of myself,” says Charlotte. “It was a huge achievement to get my GCSEs and an offer to study at college was the icing on the cake!”
The Trust will help 50,000 disadvantaged young people this year across the UK and last year, more than three-quarters who had contact with the charity moved into jobs, education or training.
For more information, call 0800 842 842 or visit www.princestrust.org.uk
