The Prince and the showgirl
SURROUNDED by showbiz and real-life royalty, a man who overcame his demons received a top award from Prince Charles for transforming hs lfie.
Tom Rebair, 22, scooped the prestigious Prince’s Trust honour at a glittering ceremony held at The Palladium in London after battling OCD and anorexia at the age of just 14.
The event was hosted by Ant & Dec and attended by celebrities including Geordie popstar Cheryl, Olivia Colman, Helen McCrory, Sir Tom Jones, Bryan Cranston, Tom Hardy, Thierry Henry, Olly Murs, Laura Whitmore and Caroline Flack.
The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards recognise disadvantaged young people who have succeeded against the odds and improved their chances in life.
Tom, of Newcastle, who received a Mappin & Webb Young Ambassador Award, had a breakdown when he was 14.
He said: “I blamed myself for being bullied at school – so I self-harmed and attempted suicide. I started to develop OCD and later also developed anorexia.
“I ended up in hospital twice; at one point my heartbeat had dropped to 18 beats per minute. My body was shutting down.
“When I left hospital six months later, I struggled. Physically I was well, but I didn’t know how to face life on my own. My occupational therapist encouraged me to join Fairbridge.”
Fairbridge is a Prince’s Trust programme that builds the confidence and self-esteem for young people.
“The Fairbridge team pulled me out of that empty space I was in and made me want to strive for a fulfilling future. This gave me the confidence to start volunteering for a charity. Even when I left, I knew they were only ever a phone call away.
“Life is hard enough, but add stigma into the mix and it can feel unbearable. I became a Young Ambassador because I wanted to spread the word about The Trust’s work and help break down the stigma surrounding eating disorders, particularly in young men like me,” said Tom.
,Tom spoke to audiences of more than 200 Prince’s Trust supporters, helping raise more than £75,000 in the process.”
Tom now works as a Catering Assistant for Marie Curie.
He hopes to continue to raise awareness of eating disorders within young men and the effect this can have on their mental health by writing and speaking more about his own experiences.
Cheryl said: “After opening my new centre with The Prince’s Trust in Newcastle just a couple of weeks ago,
“it’s amazing to come along to these awards and see the results of all the work they do. The Trust believes in young people, I believe in them and today we can see what effect that belief can have on young lives.”