The Prince's Trust

Project Summary

Since 2020, ICAP Charity Day funding has supported Ant & Dec’s Making it Media course with The Prince’s Trust.  The programme has been designed by Ant & Dec to give young people skills, confidence and access to placements and jobs with the entertainment and media industry.

Darnell, 24 from London completed the course and went on to great things – here is his story:

Before I did the Making it in Media course, I was facing a number of personal challenges. I had been full-time carer for my mum and it had become very difficult seeing her in distress. She had painful conditions and I felt like I was increasingly less able to help her. I was also grieving the loss of my older brother, who I was very close to. It was an emotionally distressing time: I was unemployed, had recently recovered from a kidney surgery, and was going through an identity crisis. 

Although I was dealing with a lot, I always wanted to be proactive and be a part of a social work environment. When I was growing up, I was told that my goals were “unrealistic” and not possible for someone who grew up in a poor part of London. This heavily affected my confidence in applying for certain job roles. Eventually, I gave up, and let myself believe that I’d never reach my goals.

I then saw a flyer for the Making it in Media programme while I was taking part in a wellbeing course. I asked to be referred - I was in a much better place and felt ready to push myself to take the next step. The programme supported me in many more ways than I was expecting. I’m not usually one to open up about my true feelings but I began to feel more comfortable doing so when I was around those who shared similar interests and aspirations. The programme gave me faith in myself. 

During the two-week long programme, I learned a great deal about myself, my skills, the media industry, and most importantly, trust and friendship. Those two weeks were the highlight of my entire year and I’ll forever cherish the time I spent with everyone on the programme. 

Once the programme finished, I was lucky enough to have been offered a role as a runner on Saturday Night Takeaway 2023. After being offered the job, I broke down in tears on the phone at how much my life had changed. I no longer felt like a disappointment or a failure. I now felt like I could make something of myself and could prove to myself that I have value.

I’m now much more optimistic about my future. I can definitely see myself pursuing a career in media and I’m making attempts to make that a reality each day.

I am very excited to support The Prince’s Trust Awards this month. It feels great to use the skills I gained on a Prince’s Trust programme to celebrate other young people who have found their own success!”

April 2023