London-born Trevor Gomes, 24, is among the recent entrepreneurs to be conferred by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson with his Points of Light honour.
He is the founder and director of youth mentoring programme Elevate, designed to equip young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the skills, knowledge and experiences needed for the world of work and higher education.
Gomes said: “It is a real honour to be recognised by the PM. I’ve put a lot of energy and commitment into supporting the lives of young people because it is something I am really passionate about and enjoy doing.
“Young people now more than ever need good role models and support getting into the world of work, I am delighted the Elevate programme has been able to do this and contribute to changing the lives of so many young people for the better. We truly rise by lifting others, so it is amazing to receive this award.”
Originally launched in 2019 to support 15 students at his Sixth Form College, Gomes rapidly expanded the programme during lockdown, which is now reaching over 10,000 students. The programme runs a series of different schemes, combining workshops with 1:1 mentoring, and a breakfast club offering weekly group mentoring, and covers a range of topics helping young people improve skills for presentations, interviews and networking, as well as providing guidance on careers and CVs, building an online presence and personal branding, and boosting wellbeing and resilience.