Young people meet HRH The Prince of Wales
Young people who have turned their lives
around with help from The Prince's Trust shared their stories of
overcoming drugs and crime with HRH The Prince of Wales.
Zaid Jawad from Bath was one of the young people to meet
HRH The Prince of Wales at the Cafe of Good Hope in South East
London, which was set up by the parents of murdered schoolboy Jimmy
Mizen.
Zaid grew up on a notorious estate in west London and first went
to prison at the age of 16.
His parents separated when he was five, and moving between each
of their houses meant that he had an unsettled childhood.
Zaid says:
As a child growing up in a tough area of
London, I witnessed a lot of violence, and I didn't know any
different. I was involved in gangs from a young age – they gave me
a sense of security and belonging.
To cope with personal problems, Zaid turned to drugs. The prison
sentence he received at 16 was to be the first of
many, and by the age of 24, Zaid was serving a sentence
for robbery at HMP Guys Marsh in Dorset. Having already wasted so
many years of his life, he resolved to try and stay out of trouble
upon his release.
Then Zaid heard about The Prince's Trust One-to-One project, a
mentoring scheme which matches reformed ex-offenders with young
people leaving prison. He put his name forward to join the scheme.
Zaid received support from a Prince’s Trust mentor to battle his
drug problems, find somewhere to live and started thinking about a
career.
Knowing that leaving London was essential if he was to stay out
of trouble, Zaid moved to Bath. Two years later, Zaid is completing
a plastering course at college and preparing to set up his own
business. He also volunteers as a Young
Ambassador for The Trust, inspiring other young people to turn
their lives around.
Zaid said:
I am absolutely certain that I’d be in prison
now if it wasn’t for The Prince's Trust. I cannot thank them enough
for believing in me and giving me a second chance in life.
Later, HRH The Prince of Wales met with representatives from the
three main political parties at Clarence House to find ways to
support young people in light of the current high rate of youth
unemployment and in the wake of last summer's riots.
HRH The Prince of Wales’ meeting came as the Government
announced a £10m cash boost to train thousands of new volunteer
leaders for national youth groups like the Scouts, Guiding and
Police Cadets. Read more about the Government's announcement to increase youth group
provision.