‘They believed in me...and no one has ever believed in me.’
Gina struggled to adapt to prison life. It was so far from where she wanted to be. Separated from her twin daughters and facing a six-and-a-half-year sentence for importation, she didn’t know how she was going to cope. All she wanted to be was a good mum, but that was going to be very difficult now. She knew the years ahead would be tough and all she felt she could do was hide away.
“I was so scared of everybody. Any arguments came to me, I’d just walk away quietly.”
As Gina became more and more reclusive, she caught the attention of the prison governor who told her about The Prince’s Trust. He explained how they could help her build a better future for her and her daughters. She agreed to meet with them, and quickly made the decision that would change her life.
“I just thought, ‘I want to be a florist!’”
The Prince’s Trust and the governor worked together to make sure Gina could enrol in a floristry course. She worked hard, earned a distinction, and persuaded the governor to let her run a flower shop in the prison. It was the first of its kind and Gina was determined to make it work.
“I was buzzing. I had this glow in my step where I thought I could do anything.”
When the time came for Gina to leave prison, The Prince’s Trust helped her to secure a new location for her flower business. It’s been running ever since, alongside the cafe that she set up. She remembers the day that HRH The Prince of Wales dropped in for a cuppa.
“He was sitting right there in that chair...he makes me proud to know he cares so much!”
With hard work and determination, Gina was able to get her life back on track. She was able to become the mum she wanted to be to her daughters.
‘It’s not only changing my life...it’s changed my whole family's life. If I didn’t get that opportunity, I wouldn’t know where my children would be now...the dream wouldn’t have come true without The Prince’s Trust.’
Gina is just one of the thousands of young people who have been helped by The Prince’s Trust. They enable so many to gain the skills and confidence they need to find work, train or start a business. And when you enter the Omaze Million Pound House Draw you’ll be helping us provide vital support to this incredible charity. Plus, you’ll get the chance to win a Cotswolds forever home worth over £2,500,000.
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