The Prince's Trust Awards aired on ITV tonight (May 26) for the first time in its 18 year history. The event which celebrates the extraordinary achievements of young people was hosted by Ant and Dec and one of the winners of the night was Welsh woman Charlotte Wookey.
Charlotte won the HSBC UK Breakthrough Award, which is for young people who have developed new skills to enable them to make positive steps in facing their challenges and stabilising their lives.
Charlotte fled foster care when she was 15 and fell into the wrong crowd, one thing led to another and she developed an addiction to drugs. Isolated from her dad and with nowhere to sleep her situation quickly got worse.
Read more: Prince Charles' incredibly strange 'breakfast box' he takes with him everywhere
“Worrying about where you’re going to sleep the next night, it was stressful and it didn’t make me happy,” she said “It was like, ‘oh, this is my life. This kind of sucks.'”
Things began to look up for Charlotte when she was given her own flat and was put on a drug rehabilitation programme. Through Jobcentre Plus she got the opportunity to take part in the Prince's Trust, her confidence grew, which led to her volunteering at an animal shelter and securing a job at a doggy daycare.
This confidence had an impact in other parts of her life too, she got back in touch with her dad and started therapy for her depression and anxiety. Five months after starting her new job Charlotte moved up to the role of supervisor.
The Trust was so touched by her story that Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon visited the centre to tell Charlotte she had won the award. The 25-year-old shared a few words when accepting the award.
She said: “Winning The Prince’s Trust Award was such a surprise, I still can’t believe it! I’m shocked. It all feels like a dream at the moment. It’s one of the biggest things I’ve achieved in my life. My dad is so proud of me, which means the world to me. I’m feeling really positive right now – which is one of the best feelings in the world!”
The event ceremony held at Theatre Royal Drury Lane was hosted by Ant and Dec. It was attended by A-list celebrities including Sir Ben Kingsley, Amal Clooney, Jeremy Irons and Anne Marie.
The Trust offers courses, grants and mentoring opportunities which help young people aged 11-30 to develop essential life skills, get ready for work and access job opportunities. Since it was founded by The Prince of Wales in 1976, the trust has helped more than a million people across the UK.
