THE Prince's Trust has helped 12 young people break down the barriers preventing them from moving on in their lives.

The group has just returned from a three-week Work-Away programme in North Sweden, where they braved freezing temperatures to gain work and life experiences at a specialist centre.

Work-Away is one of the trust's innovative programmes geared to improving confidence and employability.

Some of the young people attended a celebration at Durham County Cricket Club to give a presentation about their experiences and receive certificates of achievement.

Six group members were absent from the event, but for the best reasons.

Two have found jobs, two have gone into further education and two have been invited to attend programmes in Thailand and Belize.

Pat Rogers, Work-Away regional coordinator, said: "The group feel their experiences in Sweden have improved their self-confidence so much, they feel much more optimistic about the future."