The Prince’s Trust: How King Charles' charity helped this Leeds woman with cerebral palsy get a job

Megan Davey, of Bramley, has cerebral palsy which restricts her mobility and means she can struggle to stand for extended periods of time. The 25-year-old put herself forward for administrative jobs and occasionally made it through to the interview stage, but rarely heard back from the companies she applied to.

She decided to volunteer with The Prince’s Trust, which was founded by King Charles III in 1976 to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people across the UK. After completing programmes run by the charity, Megan secured the role of assistant team leader in September 2022, helping to deliver the development programmes that she herself took part in.

Megan told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “I decided that I wanted to help and support the students and staff that helped me along my way. Because I'd already been volunteering and I knew the program from a student perspective and a volunteer perspective, I was lucky enough to get the job.”

Before taking the opportunity with the charity, Megan began losing hope and didn’t think she would find a job that suited her needs. It was her mum that introduced her to The Prince’s Trust after seeing an advert and while Megan was unsure at first, she signed up for a digital skills programme in January 2021.

Megan said: “I have friends around me that got jobs and I wanted to be doing the same thing. Taking part in the programme gave me a reason to get up in the morning. I was back into a routine, I wasn't losing my mind like I was previously.”

She then began an eight-week programme, four days a week, on personal development before taking the Level 2 programme too. It continued to help her acquire a routine, make new friends and kept her busy. The programme also included a work placement which enabled Megan to gain some experience at a family member’s garage business.

Megan said the programme transformed her confidence. She added: “When I first joined the programme, even like taking part in the level 2, I didn't speak to anybody. I was the quietest person ever. I wouldn't have ever joined this call.”

Looking back at her journey, Megan said she wouldn’t be where she is today without The Prince’s Trust. Currently, the Trust helps people from the ages of 11 to 30 find the tools and confidence to develop essential life skills and access job opportunities. Megan is one of the 60,000 the Trust has helped into either employment, education or further training.

She added: “Having the opportunity to help people like myself and understand how they feel on their their first day when they arrive, I just think it's amazing. I can help someone like myself, support them and encourage them like the staff did with me. I just think it's amazing.”

Find out more information via The Prince’s Trust website.