A TREDEGAR man who turned his life around after being locked up for robbery as a teenager has won a Prince’s Trust award.

Craig Hyde Dryden, 22, was one of three young people from across Wales shortlisted for the Gocompare.com Young Ambassador of the Year Award at The Prince’s Trust and Samsung Celebrate Success Awards held at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff.

Mr Dryden frequently faced exclusion from school and left with few qualifications. He endured a difficult home life and turned to drink and drugs at a young age.

At 16, Mr Dryden received a six-year custodial sentence for robbery, and began suffering with acute anxiety and depression.

His turnaround began when he was invited to take part in a Prince’s Trust programme and was selected as a lead applicant for its community project.

Young people who have successfully completed a Prince’s Trust course can apply to be a Young Ambassador to volunteer their time, share their personal experiences and inspire others.

He said: “Being the lead was a massive thing for me. It felt like people trusted me and that my opinion was worth something – it made me want to do well for them.

“I used to feel overwhelmed if I had to talk to other people – now I can look people in the eye and tell them my story with confidence.”

Mr Dryden became a Prince’s Trust Young Ambassador and has helped to raise awareness of the trust’s work. He has represented the trust at several events, including Gwent’s Youth Summit Forum where he discussed crime and crime reduction with senior authority figures.

He is now managing director of a volunteer-based initiative, Supasoups, a catering company that promotes healthy eating and also leads other youth initiatives. He also hopes to attend The Prince’s Trust’s Enterprise programme to help develop his own new business, Drydenmedia.

Hayley Parsons, founder and chief executive of Gocompare.com, said: “I would like to offer my most heartfelt congratulations to Craig for winning the Gocompare.com Young Ambassador of the Year Award. He is a fantastic Young Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust and I wish him every success in the future.”