An xl structure to regain trust

The statistics were revealed in The Prince’s Trust fourth annual Youth Index, published yesterday.

It showed that nine per cent of young people in the East of England feel their days lack structure and direction, which affects their school grades and self-esteem.

Charlotte Golledge, 18, (pictured right) is one of the teenagers in Luton who felt she had a chaotic childhood, but managed to turn her life around.

Charlotte 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.”

The lack of structure affected Charlotte’s school work, but a turning point came when her teachers suggested she join The Prince’s Trust xl club when she was 14.

The programme helps young people at a risk of underachievement or exclusion from school, and within weeks Charlotte’s grades started to improve.

Charlotte said: “I was so used to feeling like I wasn’t going anywhere it was a huge change. I started to feel so much happier about my life.”

Now in her second year of college studying Level 2 Animal Care with a focus in Equine, Charlotte says she feels really proud of herself.

She said: “It was a huge achievement to get my GCSEs and an offer to study at college was the icing on the cake. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without The Prince’s Trust xl club. I feel a lot more confident about my future now.”

The Prince’s Trust Youth Index found that one in four 16- to 25-year-olds ‘always’ or ‘often’ feel down or depressed, 47 per cent feel stressed and those with fewer than five A*-C grade GCSEs are significantly more likely to feel this way.

Young people who don’t have a daily routine or structure such as regular bedtimes and set meal times are also more likely to struggle at school and have lower self-confidence.

Almost one in four people believe they did not receive the support they needed at school.

Graham Ball, 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 youg adults – unconfident, under-qualified and unemployed.

“Our programmes, which include in-school xl clubs, give the hardest-to-reach young people intense, structured support – helping to prevent potential drop-outs and exclusions.”