“It’s shown me that diversity is a wonderful thing” – Cara’s Story

Background

Cara was unemployed and living in Oldham before joining the Princes Trust TEAM programme. She was feeling low and spending all her time at home playing videogames, which she felt was unproductive. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself.

Cara first heard about the programme when she was approached by one of the Team Leaders at a jobs fair in Oldham. She was apprehensive at first, but the team assured her that she would be given the personal support she needed throughout the programme.

The journey so far

Despite a few ups and downs, Cara said she ‘loved every minute’ of the programme. She was able to make new friends who supported her during difficult times. When the team went caving on their activity week, Cara was unsure of this new activity and lost her nerve, but staff and her new friends supported her and gave her confidence to face the challenge head on.

Young people on the programme carry out a community project in their local area and are given roles. Cara was made co-leader on the project, and learned new skills including delegating responsibilities and managing time efficiently. 

Next steps

Cara has started volunteering at a charity shop in Oldham to expand on the retail skills she picked up during her two-week work placement. She hopes to gain a full-time job in retail.

The Princes Trust has allowed me to boost my confidence and communication skills. I was supported through my journey and it’s also shown me that diversity is a wonderful thing.