Young person from Belfast wins prestigious King's Trust Award
Trishna, 28 from Belfast, has been named as the winner of an award from The King’s Trust after overcoming a difficult time in her mid-twenties when she was struggling to find work and didn’t know how to make her next step.
The King’s Trust and TK Maxx Awards recognise young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community. Trishna scooped the Homesense Young Achiever Award which recognises a young person who has overcome barriers to succeed in work for more than 12 months.
“I am very happy now. The opportunity I had with The King’s Trust helped turn my life around and forge a sustainable career. Now, I want to inspire other young people to see what they are capable of.”
Growing up in Nepal, Trishna enjoyed school and went on to complete her studies at university. At 26, she moved to Belfast where she hoped to continue building her career. After applying for over 50 jobs, Trishna began to feel disillusioned. She turned to The King’s Trust for support via their retail programme with Marks & Spencer and, today, she works in the M & S Academy and is thriving in her role there.
“The job market in Belfast felt so difficult to navigate when I first moved here. I applied for over 50 jobs and only got three or four interviews. I didn’t understand why my qualifications and experience weren’t enough. Even entry level jobs required more experience than I had, and it started to get me down. However, I knew I had to keep going and needed something to bridge the gap between my qualifications and finding employment.”
Trishna learned about The King’s Trust after seeing an advert on Instagram and signed up for the ‘Unlock Skills for Work’ programme. This course is designed to refresh job-searching and interview skills and also covers topics such as mental health and wellbeing.
“The programme taught me how to structure a CV, gave me an insight into what employers are looking for and improved my interview skills. It was so helpful to learn how I could communicate my experience with employers in a way that would show them my potential. The programme was a real turning point and it massively boosted my confidence.”
While on this programme, Trishna learned about the Get into Retail programme, run by The King’s Trust in partnership with M & S.
“I had never worked in retail before but was eager to try. The programme changed how I looked at my career and I started to focus on building a career in retail, confident that my skills and education could help me progress in this industry. I soon started working in-store at M & S and also joined the Social Media Champion team. I continued in this department for a year before moving into a different role.
“When I saw a job advertisement for a Talent Acquisition Coordinator in the M & S Academy, I knew I had to apply for it. I was so happy when I got the job! This was a full circle moment because I started at The King’s Trust as a young person, and I now have a role at M & S where I also work with The King’s Trust to help young people into a positive outcome.
“It's such a privilege to speak to young people who are on their taster day for the M & S programme and show them what is possible if they take advantage of the opportunity and work hard.”
On winning the Homesense Young Achiever Award, Trishna said: “Winning this award feels amazing and a little surreal! I’m so grateful to everyone who believed in me and offered me support to make this happen.”
A TK Maxx and Homesense spokesperson said: "Trishna’s achievement is a brilliant example of what can happen when young people are given the confidence, skills and support to reach their potential. At TK Maxx and Homesense, we’re incredibly proud to stand alongside The King’s Trust in helping young people build the futures they deserve."
Now Trishna is in with a chance to become a National King’s Trust Award winner at a very special event in May 2026. A King’s Trust Celebrationin partnership with TK Maxx will spotlight winners from across the UK. Held at the iconic Royal Albert Hall, this special evening will bring music, comedy, awards, and unforgettable performances together. The night will celebrate the courage, creativity, and achievements of young people supported by The King’s Trust in the UK and around the world.
Youth charity The King’s Trust gives young people the skills and confidence to get their lives on track. Three in four young people helped by The King’s Trust in the past five years have moved into work, training or education. With almost a million young people not in work, education or training, the Trust is committed to ending youth unemployment so that every young person has the opportunity to succeed.