Seven of Scotland's young achievers celebrated at King’s Trust Awards in Glasgow
Today's awards honour inspirational young people across Scotland ahead of a national ceremony
Seven young Scots have won awards at the King’s Trust Awards in Glasgow today. The awards aim to commend those who have overcome challenges and made a difference in their lives and communities.
The ceremony was hosted today (Thursday 22nd January) at the voco Grand Central Glasgow, with winners recognised for their achievements and courage.
The winners for each category are:
- Delta Air Lines Breakthrough: Ethan
- NatWest Enterprise: Dylan
- L’Oreal Paris Rising Star: Musa
- Homesense Young Achiever: Jessica
- Watches of Switzerland Young Change Maker: Lauren
- Tesco Education: Angel
- JD Foundation Community Impact: Ayrshire Team
Inspiring stories of Scotland’s winners
Lauren’s journey to helping others find success
Lauren, a 26-year-old from Glasgow, will be celebrated as Watches of Switzerland’s Young Change Maker for her inspiring journey from uncertainty to success.
At just 17, and facing difficult family circumstances, she found herself at a crossroads between continuing education or stepping into work.
Lauren joined The King’s Trust’s Marks & Starts employability programme in partnership with M&S, where she gained in-store experience, employability skills, and interview preparation support. Despite initial nerves, she thrived in the fast-paced environment, built strong relationships, and earned a contract with the company.
Now nine years later, Lauren’s career has flourished across roles that include Bra Fitter and Regional Trainer. Today, she leads the Marks & Starts programme for the Scotland West Region, mentoring and training other young people who face challenges similar to those she overcame.
Lauren has delivered four successful programmes, coaching 32 individuals into securing contracts with M&S, with plans to support even more.
“Marks & Starts helped bring back a version of myself that was extremely lost,” Lauren said. “I’m proud to now be able to do that for other young people.”
Jessica’s path to new opportunities
Jessica, a 25-year-old from Edinburgh, will be honoured as Homesense’s Young Achiever. After returning to Edinburgh following a tough breakup and life in England, Jessica was struggling with her mental health, homelessness, and isolation.
Care-experienced and without family support, Jessica found hope through The King’s Trust lifeguard programme in partnership with Edinburgh Leisure. Despite overcoming anxiety attacks during crucial assessments, Jessica refused to give up on her dream of becoming a lifeguard.
Through the programme, Jessica gained work experience, employability workshops, and a qualification, ultimately landing a contract with Edinburgh Leisure. She has since built a full-time career at David Lloyd as a lifeguard and has moved into permanent accommodation.
“While at The King’s Trust, I overcame depression and the feeling of not belonging. It gave me the opportunity to learn a lot and get back the smile I was missing in my life,” Jessica said.
Dylan turns gardening passion into successful business
Dylan, 30, from Lochgelly, will be recognised as the NatWest Enterprise winner for successfully launching his own gardening business with support from The King’s Trust.
After years working in social care, Dylan decided to turn his passion for gardening into a career. Despite his skills, he had no experience running a business.
Through The King’s Trust’s Enterprise programme, Dylan attended a three-day course where he learned how to manage cashflow, work with HMRC, and create a business plan.
“I really struggled with some of the more technical parts of running a business,” Dylan said. “But The Trust gave me extra support, making a huge difference and building my confidence.”
Dylan applied for and received a start-up grant of just under £2,000, which he used to buy professional tools and branded workwear. After using personal savings for a van, he officially launched his business, which has grown significantly over the past year.
Dylan now has glowing Google reviews, consistent work in his area, and even employed someone through the Job Centre over the summer to expand his team during the busy season.
“After the support I got from The Trust, I wanted to use my business to give back to my community,” Dylan shared. “I’m glad I could support someone else who just needed that helping hand.”
Ethan’s journey from disrupted education to newfound confidence
Ethan, a 16-year-old from Fife, will be celebrated as the Delta Air Lines Breakthrough winner after turning his life around and finding confidence and direction with The King’s Trust.
Ethan’s education was significantly disrupted by a challenging home life and his role as a young carer. He eventually moved to live with his grandmother but found himself struggling in school – his attendance dropped below 40%, and he lacked confidence to speak in class.
While looking for work, Ethan was connected to The King’s Trust through his local Job Centre. He decided to join a hospitality programme in partnership with M&S, where participants gain work experience, build employability skills, and prepare for interviews.
Ethan excelled during the programme, making friends and thriving during his café work experience. He impressed everyone with his dedication and secured a part-time job at M&S Café.
“I’m looking forward to going to college next year and hopefully onto university,” Ethan said. “I want to understand how the world works and help people live happier and better lives.”
A national celebration awaits
The Scotland Final is not the end for these inspiring winners, each of them will now compete for the National King’s Trust Award, which will take place at a special event at the Royal Albert Hall in May.
Held in partnership with TK Maxx, the national celebration will recognise winners from across the UK.