Youth can do it

Hundreds of thousands of young people were considering their options last week with the release of GCSE results across England and Northern Ireland.

For many, Thursday 23 August was a day of celebration, but for others, the day added further stress and anxiety as they consider their next steps in light of unexpected results.

Further to their GCSE-themed #HotTopics broadcast, youth charity the Prince’s Trust has been sending the message to young people that results don’t necessarily define their future, and that there is more than one way to achieve their goals.

The Trust helps young people aged 13 to 30 get into jobs, education and training. Many of the young people the Trust helps are in or leaving care, facing challenges such as homelessness or mental health issues, or have been in trouble with the law.

Last year we won the ‘Breaking Barriers: Mental Health Award’ for the work we have done with the Prince’s Trust addressing the growing concern of poor mental health in young people.

In partnership with Young Minds, the Trust has created a series of top tips to help young people deal with the stress of studying, exams and results day, and YouTuber and Young Ambassador Iskra Lawrence also shares her take on dealing with setbacks in this video. 

Their website also features information on how their programmes and other resources (including mental health services) can help young people explore their options and gain the confidence, resilience, and support they need to achieve their dreams.

Supporting parents, carers and younger colleagues

Making our business a place where parents, carers and young people can achieve their potential remains a priority.

Royal Mail’s Youth & Friends steering group is looking to engage with our younger colleagues across the business. To join or find out more about the network, share ideas and feedback or suggest ways we can engage with younger colleagues better, please email youthnetwork@royalmail.com.

There is also a closed Facebook group for employees aged 16-24 and their supporters. To join, all you need to do is email youthnetwork@royalmail.com with your name, location, employee number and the email address that you use to sign in to Facebook and they will send you an invite.

You can also visit our Parent & Carers steering group homepage to read more about the work the group is doing, and access a range of resources available to support you if you are caring for others.