Outstanding Achievement Award Public Vote

Darren Prendergast (19) - Newcastle

Nominated by – Christine Graham-Scott, Tyne & Wear Care Alliance

Darren, 19 and from High Heaton in Newcastle left college with only one basic qualification after struggling for years with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite lacking confidence in his academic abilities, he showed a talent for fishing and dreamt of pursuing a career within the industry.

The change in Darren’s fortunes came about because of his keen interest in fishing. He approached his Connexions advisor who directed him to the Tyne and Wear Care Alliance which offered a place on the Give it a Go Project, enabling Darren to embark on a 20-week training course in fish filleting with Sea Food Training in North Shields.

Each day he would cycle 11 miles to begin work at 7.30am and after finding comfort in his developing abilities he adapted to the practical training and quickly gained confidence in his role.

He said: “Even though it’s been a short time, I feel like I’ve come a long way since my days at college. I am more confident in what I’ve learnt and it’s helped that my trainer gave me a lot of support. It just shows that hard work does pay off.”

Darren completes his training in May, and over the past five months has achieved a recognised Manual Handling qualification, Sea Survival Certificate, Fire Safety and First Aid qualifications and his proudest achievement, a fork lift truck licence.

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