From Feeling Rock Bottom To Meeting Royalty
A young man from Wigan has spoken of his amazing journey from feeling rock bottom, to sharing his ideas for an app with Apple and meeting King Charles.
Dan Mort (23) says that this amazing transformation in his life all came about thanks to the Team Programme, which is delivered by Groundwork, in partnership with the King’s Trust.
I had no motivation, I couldn’t find work and all my confidence had gone.
Meeting the King
Dan described how, having moved to a new area, he had felt alone and at his lowest point. “I found it really difficult to make new friends and was just staying in my room all day. I was feeling like I had reached my rock bottom. I had no motivation, I couldn’t find work and all my confidence had gone. The longer this went on, the harder it became to get out of this rut. It was my Work Coach that told me about the King’s Trust Team Programme and I thought – why not? I had absolutely nothing to lose.”
As part of the programme, the team was invited to the King’s Trust North West headquarters in Manchester. The group took part in a session at about developing ideas for useful apps, with everyone’s suggestions sent off to Apple as part of a competition. Dan’s idea for an app that gave you information about hospital waiting times, led to him and another team member being invited to Apple Headquarters in London to discuss it further. This included an overnight stay in a hotel and the opportunity to meet and present their ideas to King Charles.
At one point I called him ‘Mate’ but luckily he either didn’t notice or didn’t seem to mind my little slip up.
Dan says “I had the chance to speak to The King about the course and my idea for the app. He was so approachable and easy to talk to that I felt really comfortable. So much so that at one point I called him ‘Mate’ but luckily he either didn’t notice or didn’t seem to mind my little slip up.“
A Brilliant Team
Dan says “I loved being on the Team Programme from the very first minute. It was a brilliant team. Every one of us in the group was there for different reasons, with different issues, but no one judged you and we all supported each other. The Groundwork staff were absolutely amazing and I was really sad when the course actually came to an end.”
Next Steps
Dan is now brimming with confidence, with a clear idea of what he wants to do in the future and how he wants to get there. He is now actively looking for full-time work, ideally somewhere active or sporty, like a gym or a leisure centre.
I’ve learnt so much over the last few months. The main thing is that if you want your life to change, you’ve got take that first step, no one is going to do it for you.
“It’s the best thing I have ever done. I would recommend this course 100% to anyone who wants to unlock their potential. The Team Programme has completely changed my outlook on life and it could do the same for you!”
Find out more
The Team Programme changed Dan’s life and it could do the same for you!
To find out more, text the word TEAM to 80 800, free of charge. We will get back to you and tell you more about the programme. You can then decide of if its the right thing for you.
We have new programmes starting on the 20th January in Wigan and Leigh. So don’t wait another day. Start your journey TODAY!