Kirsty Major
In 2007, Kirsty won the
West Midlands Police Award for Positive Citizenship.
Below she recounts her experiences with
The Prince's Trust.
"Before I started at The Prince’s Trust I was stuck in a dead
end job and felt there was no way out for me. I desperately wanted
to do something with my life: I knew I wanted a job that was
inspirational, and one that helped people, but I had no GCSEs and
thought no employer would even look at me.
"I stumbled across an advert in my local paper for volunteers
for the front desk at Sedgley police station. I plucked up the
courage and arranged an interview just to get some sense of
achievement in my life and break free from my job. From this I was
passed onto a team leader who was running a Prince’s Trust course.
I was accepted onto the programme and since then my life has
changed.
"The programme boosted my confidence, I gained valuable
qualifications and it also broke stereotypes for me, as I mixed
with different people with different backgrounds. I improved on my
teamwork and socialising skills and it made me realise my
potential.
"I was fully supported and encouraged and felt that no one was
judged; it felt as though The Prince’s Trust cared. It gave me a
better understanding of the community and its needs though working
with members of the public, also giving me a sense of achievement
through doing a community project. My passion for helping people
was made more real when I did my work experience with an assistant
Team Leader with The Prince’s Trust: it then became my mission to
become an Assistant Team Leader. This was the job I had always
dreamed of, and I wanted to put all my efforts into something
worthwhile.
"After the course had ended I volunteered with The Prince’s
Trust, and when a job became available I jumped at the chance. I
have now been employed by City of Wolverhampton College as an
Assistant Team Leader for 12 months.
"It is not just myself who has had success: I see young people
every day turning their lives around and moving onto better things
despite the disadvantages they may have had in their
background."