A SWINDON teenager has hailed a programme which provided a “turning point” in her life and helped her gain confidence after a series of setbacks.

Alex Legg had a tough time at school in the town and left with few qualifications, which led to low self-esteem and anxiety.

However, after taking part in The Prince’s Trust Team programme and receiving invaluable support, Alex managed to get her life back on track.

The 17-year-old took part in the charity’s Team programme, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month.

The 12-week personal development course, supported by Barclays, has helped more than 187,000 young people across the UK since 1989.

Being bullied at school was a tough time for Alex; she’d act out and be disruptive because of frustration, and ended up moving schools twice.

And after leaving with a handful of GSCEs and later failing to complete a college course, Alex felt like her life wasn’t going anywhere.

She said: “I was unhappy, my confidence was really low and I did nothing productive with my time. I would spend most days at home and rarely see any friends.

“I’d got to a stage where I wanted to be by myself and wasn’t comfortable socialising.”

After a visit to her local CSK, Alex was referred to The Prince’s Trust Team programme and decided to enrol.

“I was sceptical at first because I didn’t know what to expect but it turned out to be a real turning point in my life,” she said.

“I bonded with my team and made some really close friends, who I still see now. I felt comfortable talking to the staff about the problems in my life and all the other young people had a story to tell too.

“The programme also helped me to gain a lot more confidence and I enjoyed being around people again.”

As part of the programme, which was delivered in partnership with Adviza, Alex helped to lead her team during their community project, in which they managed to fundraise nearly £500 through a sponsored walk.

They donated the funds to a local group which provides meals for homeless and disadvantaged people, and even volunteered their time there, helping to cook meals.

Since finishing Team, Alex has been employed by the Reading FC Community Trust as a community coach, where she helps deliver sessions at youth clubs for five to 15 year olds, showing young people how to cook and delivering activities.

She’s also helped the Reading FC press team by attending football matches and writing match reports for their website.

“Being on Team helped me realise how much I like helping other people and supporting them,” she added.

“Working at the youth clubs has inspired me, because I see young people with less than what I have who carry on with a positive outlook. I’m really enjoying what I’m doing and want to continue in youth work and make this my career.”

Reading star Anton Ferdinand, a Prince’s Trust ambassador, said: “From a young age I always wanted to be a footballer and that goal gave me focus and motivation. It kept me away from some of the negative influences you face as a young person and having teammates meant there was always support when I needed it.

“Team is a great initiative from The Prince’s Trust because not only does it help young people to gain skills and confidence to find work, it also provides the support network that so many of them need.”

For more on the Prince’s Trust, please visit princes-trust.org.uk.