Larne man Paul meets His Majesty The King after prestigious Prince's Trust award win
“Anything is possible, no matter where you’re from or what barriers you face” – that is the message from a young father from Larne who transformed his life thanks to assistance from The Prince’s Trust.
Paul Laverty, 24, was the winner of a prestigious national Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx and Homesense Award. He scooped the L’Oréal Paris Rising Star accolade, which recognises a young person who, having built up their confidence and skills, has overcome barriers to secure and recently start employment, education or training.
On Wednesday, May 22, he attended a reception at Buckingham Palace to meet His Majesty The King, Founder of The Prince’s Trust, who congratulated the award winners on their achievements.
Paul was also honoured on Tuesday at the star-studded awards ceremony, hosted by Ant and Dec, and attended by many celebrity supporters and Ambassadors of the youth charity. He was presented his award by Mia McKenna-Bruce and Roman Kemp.
The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards honours and celebrates the successes of those who have been helped by The Trust, and those who support them, in the UK and around the world.
Many of the winners have overcome significant barriers to transform their lives and build brighter futures for themselves and their communities.
Paul’s story
Paul had a difficult childhood and was diagnosed with ADHD and a learning difficulty at the age of seven. His school days were a struggle, but he sought help from The Prince’s Trust Achieve programme and left school with some qualifications.
After leaving school, he was struggling with his mental health and found it hard to get work. He started to go down the wrong path and, at 22, was arrested and charged with theft. Paul’s partner was pregnant at the time and Paul knew he wanted to turn his life around. His probation worker told him about a Prince’s Trust hospitality programme, and he decided to sign up.
During the programme, he completed a placement at Ballygally Castle and, at the end of the placement, was offered a temporary role in the kitchen. Ballygally were so impressed with his work ethic that they offered him a full-time permanent contract – a life-changing moment for Paul.
Finally able to provide for his family and put the past behind him, he has now been in the role for more than six months and has found a career he loves.
The local man said: “I really can’t believe I’ve won the national Rising Star Award, it means so much to me. I didn’t think people would believe in me but now I can see how far I have come.
“I’m so grateful to the staff at Ballygally, The Prince’s Trust and my family for supporting me along the way. I hope I can show other young people who’ve had a difficult start in life that anything is possible, no matter where you’re from or what barriers you face.”
Scott Weatherup, General Manager of Ballygally Castle said: “Paul is an inspiring young man who is a fantastic example of someone who has overcome adversity, believed in himself and worked incredibly hard. On behalf of everyone at Ballygally Castle and across Hastings Hotels, I’d like to congratulate Paul and we look forward to watching him continue to flourish!”