Top award winner Chloe is rising star

Chloe Cartwright, 18, has won the energy company CNG's Rising Star award at the Yorkshire and the Humber Prince's Trust Awards.

She was presented with the award at a ceremony at Aspire in Leeds by CNG's Abi Aldred (pictured).

The Prince's Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards recognise the achievements of young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life, and had a positive impact on their local community, as well as those who have played a part in supporting the work of The Trust.

On the outside, Chloe seemed like a happy, healthy teenager, but her state of mind told a different story.

'At 15, I was skipping school and developed depression and anxiety. Soon I started contemplating suicide, she said.'

Chloe added: 'It was my stepdad who saved me. He helped me so much because he battled with depression too. He was the one who encouraged me to sit my exams and go to college.'

Chloe then joined Team, a 12-week programme from The Prince's Trust that builds the confidence and employability prospects of unemployed young people.

''A month before I started Team, my wonderful stepdad died in a car crash. It nearly destroyed me, but I decided to follow through with Team to make him proud and I think I achieved that because it changed my outlook on everything. Every day on Team was different and that gave me something to look forward to. I made friends that I'm still in touch with now, I achieved stuff I never imagined I'd be capable of, and I realised that there were people in life who were worse off than me.' When Team ended, Chloe secured a job as a medical receptionist.