By Humah Akram | The Prince's Trust
After leaving school, Martin, 26, found himself in debt and in trouble with the police. He now works with Northamptonshire County Council to help adults find work experience.
As early as eight years old, Martin had thoughts of suicide.
Born in Holland, childhood was spent between numerous countries before he eventually settled in the UK aged 11. This unstable life caused anxiety, and a difficult home life led to a speech impediment from a young age.
Bullying was a constant factor in Martin's life, and as his problems escalated, his thoughts became darker.
Martin's school life was tumultuous. Getting into fights, he began drinking and misusing drugs and was often excluded from lessons. When his mother died shortly after arriving in the UK, Martin’s life went further out of control.
In spite of this, he left school with three GCSEs. But with only irregular employment, and substance misuse still a factor in his life, Martin found himself with mounting debt and in trouble with the police. Having moved away from home, his family life was non-existent, and he hit his lowest point.
He came across The Prince’s Trust Team programme by chance. The course provides young people with key workplace skills and helps them gain confidence. Martin’s progress on the scheme was evident from the very beginning. With new resilience he overcame his communication barriers and often took the lead on community projects. Never once becoming aggressive, he was a model pupil.
Since joining the course, Martin has transformed into a ‘phenomenal young man’ according to his Team leader. His dedication has seen him become a volunteer with The Trust, and such is his success that he has been asked to head up a new Tools for Self Reliance project for Northamptonshire County Council, a scheme that helps adults find work experience.
Martin’s journey was long and harrowing, but now he has a worthwhile career and is looking forward to the future. He says..."My life changed for the better while on the Team programme. I’m now embarking on a journey to help make my county more sustainable, and it is all thanks to The Prince’s Trust."
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