Paul Laverty (24) received the award which recognises a young person who, having built up their confidence and skills, has overcome barriers to secure and recently start employment, education or training.

After being convicted of theft only two years ago — on the same day his partner Ellie was going for the first baby scan of their son Leo — Paul has thanked the Prince’s Trust for getting him back on his feet and landing him a job at Ballygally Castle Hotel in Larne.

Speaking of his award, he said he is “so proud” of himself and how far he has come in just two years, and is glad he can now be a role model for his son.

He said he was “totally starstruck” when he found out he had won the ‘Rising Star Award’ from boxing champion Carl Frampton.

“I was on the Ballygally beach and was told I was filming a documentary for the Prince’s Trust about winning the regional award, and my award nominator Carla Montgomery told me there was someone that wanted to speak to me. She moved out of the way and Carl Frampton was standing behind her,” he said.

“I was so starstruck I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think I was going to win the overall award.

“I didn’t think people would believe in me but now I can see how far I have come.

“I have been so overwhelmed by the support from everyone and I have the Prince’s Trust to thank, as well as my family for supporting me and to all the staff at Ballygally.

“I hope I can show other young people who’ve had a difficult start in life that anything is possible, no matter where you’re from or what barriers you face.”

The ceremony, which took place at Theatre Royal Drury Lane earlier this week and was hosted by Ant and Dec, was attended by celebrities including Mia McKenna-Bruce and Roman Kemp who presented Paul with his award.

The next day he was one of the winners who met His Majesty King Charles at Buckingham Palace alongside some celebrity supporters.

“I felt like I was famous for a few hours!” Paul said.

“King Charles was just so down-to-earth and he knew everyone’s names and stories personally, it was an honour to meet him.”

Starting off with a difficult childhood, Paul was diagnosed with ADHD and a learning difficulty at the age of seven.

He admitted that his school days were a “struggle”, but he sought help from The Prince’s Trust Achieve programme and left school with some qualifications. After leaving school, he was struggling with his mental health and found it hard to get work. He started to go down the wrong path and “got involved with a bad crowd”.

At 22, he was arrested and charged with theft, while his partner was pregnant at the time.

“The day I was in police custody was the day of my baby’s first scan, so that’s when I said to myself, I need to change for the better,” he said.

Paul knew he wanted to turn his life around and his probation worker told him about a Prince’s Trust hospitality programme, and he decided to sign up.

During the programme, he did a placement at Ballygally Castle and, at the end of the placement, he was offered a temporary role in the kitchen.

Ballygally were so impressed with his work ethic that they offered him a full-time permanent contract — a life-changing moment for Paul.

He has now been in the role for more than six months and has found a career he loves.

“It’s given me a second chance. I now have a house, I’m getting married and I’ve now been invited back to my old school to talk about my journey,” he said.

Scott Weatherup, general manager of Ballygally Castle, said: “We are so proud of Paul Laverty for winning a prestigious Prince’s Trust Award.

“Paul is an inspiring young man who is a fantastic example of someone who has overcome adversity, believed in himself and worked incredibly hard. On behalf of everyone at Ballygally Castle and across Hastings Hotels, I’d like to congratulate Paul and we look forward to watching him continue to flourish.”