AN INSPIRATIONAL young woman from Caldicot who overcame mental health issues to help other young sufferers has won a Royal award.

Nineteen-year-old Catherine Morgan-Owen has won the South West HSBC Breakthrough Award as part of The Prince’s Trust Awards, which aim to recognise the achievements of young people who have succeeded against the odds.

In her early teens Miss Morgan-Owen began self-harming after feeling that everything bad that happened to her was her fault.

And at the age of 15, she found herself sectioned and spent 11 months in a psychiatric hospital.

“Even that couldn’t stop me from turning over all the questions and guilt in my head,” she said.

“I kept attempting to take my life and experienced many psychotic episodes but finally they grew less frequent and I was deemed well enough to leave.”

Miss Morgan-Owen was then sent to live in a children’s residential unit until she was 18 before being moved into supported housing.

It was there that her social worker recognised that she had “massive” confidence issues and suggested that The Prince’s Trust could help.

She enrolled on Fairbridge, a Trust programme that helps to improve the motivation and self-esteem of disadvantaged young people.

“I felt safe at Fairbridge and liked the fact that no-one judged me,” said Miss Morgan-Owen. “The residential was lots of fun and I got a buzz from completing all the activities.

“Another thing I liked was helping others on the programme. There was one boy who found it very difficult to manage his feelings, so I sat down and talked with him and listened. It felt rewarding to be able to help him.”

Miss Morgan-Owen has now moved back in with her mother - something she “thought she’d never be well enough to do”.

She has also since passed her driving test, has a full-time apprenticeship in a local primary school and is running support sessions at Young Minds.

Miss Morgan-Owen added: “The Prince’s Trust has challenged me in ways I’d never been challenged before and opened my eyes to what I was really capable of.

“I’m now focusing on a career helping people with additional learning needs and I am getting started by going back to college.”

The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards will be touring the United Kingdom in October and November with celebratory ceremonies taking place in each region.

Miss Morgan-Owen will be presented with her award at an event at St George’s, Bristol, November 21.

Ian Stuart, chief executive of HSBC UK described Miss Morgan-Owen as a “worthy winner” of the HSBC Breakthrough Award.