Warm welcome from His Majesty King Charles for four Maesteg pupils!

On 17 May, four Maesteg School learners arrived at Buckingham Palace to meet His Majesty, King Charles, in recognition of them winning The Prince’s Trust Community Impact Award.  

The award honours young people who have demonstrated significant personal growth and overcome barriers to improve their future through a Prince’s Trust education programme.

The star-studded event, celebrating UK and international winners of The Prince’s Trust, TK Maxx and Homesense Awards, shone a light on the efforts of the teenagers and their classmates.  As part of The Prince’s Trust Achieve programme, the group had set up a sustainable project - recycling and packaging school uniforms that could be returned to the community for free.

The group washed, ironed, folded, and packaged more than 50 pieces of uniform and repackaged the unclaimed items, so families in need could collect them as part of a uniform swap shop.

The pupils learned how to work as a team through the project using different ‘stations’, and if one learner was ever struggling, another pupil was always ready to step in and help.

One of the team, Jack, said: “The project showed that by working together we could help others in our community. Winning The Prince’s Trust Award is great! It has given us even more confidence and encouraged us to think about developing new ideas for our community.”

The Prince's Trust gives young people the skills and confidence needed to thrive in life.

Three in four young people helped by The Prince’s Trust around the world move into work, training, or education. TK Maxx and Homesense have been partners of The Prince’s Trust since 2013.

Basketball player, Ovie Soko, and musician, Bugzy Malone, presented the Maesteg School students to His Majesty, who is Founder and President of The Prince’s Trust.

Ovie Soko said: “Ethan, Jake, Jack, Ryan and their classmates at Maesteg School are exceptionally worthy of this award.  Their idea to help their fellow students and the wider community with the recycling of school uniforms is ingenious. They have shown that as a team their hard work and imagination can make a real difference.

“Their project has enabled them to increase their confidence, teamwork, and life skills. I’ve no doubt their families and school community are very proud of their achievement, as am I. They are such an inspiration!”

Maesteg School Headteacher, Helen Jones, said: “We are humbled by the success of Ethan, Jack, Jake, Ryan and Seren by winning this award.

 “I am exceptionally proud of this remarkable group of young people who have created the Uniform Swap Shop where they provide recycled school uniform to help with affordability to support our community during these hard times. 

“Their resilience and determination have made this community project a huge success and earned them the title of The Prince’s Trust Community Impact Award Winners, nothing less than what these exceptional young people deserve.                                                                                                             

“They should be proud of their achievements and for putting Maesteg School on the map! We must acknowledge our school staff, who continue to go above and beyond for our students with their time and support. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate these remarkable pupils who, with the support of staff at Maesteg School and The Prince’s Trust, are developing new skills which will help to set them up for life.

Well done! We’re extremely proud of everything you have achieved and continue to achieve.”

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell, Cabinet Member for Education