Inspirational Burnley entrepreneur meets prince

A Burnley man who overcame mental health problems to launch his own successful tattoo business has met with the Prince of Wales to tell his story.

Scott Heffernan suffered from mental health issues and became mute after leaving secondary school. He couldn’t talk to anyone and refused to leave the house. When funding for his treatment was cut, he felt alone.

Scott's answer was to take part in The Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme in 2014. On completing the program, he launched his own business, Timeless Tattoos.

In 2018, he won the North West Prince’s Trust Enterprise Award which recognises young people who have overcome barriers and achieved success in creating a sustainable business, or a community or social enterprise.

Scott met the prince as part of the Youth Can Do It event, hosted in Mayfair, London, which celebrated the diverse impact that the youth charity has had on young entrepreneurs during the last thirty six years. He also met with a host of high profile entrepreneurs and alumni of the charity.

He said: “It has been really inspiring to meet entrepreneurs who have built up such great and successful businesses, even exceeding their own goals in some cases.

“The help I received from The Trust really boosted my confidence. Through my business, I’ve managed to help myself and others, while also securing a future for my family. I’d urge anyone who’s at a crossroads in life to get in touch with The Trust because they’ll do all they can to help you find your passion and make the most of it.”

Clare Crabb, North regional director at The Prince’s Trust, said: “It’s incredible to think that our Enterprise programme has assisted more than 88,000 young people across the UK to realise their dream of starting their own businesses over the last thirty six years. Many of the young people we have helped have overcome significant barriers in their lives to get to where they are now.

“At The Trust we help young people build their self-confidence, develop and support their ideas and access to funding to help launch and grow their businesses. We give young people access to a network like no other, incredible business mentors and dedicated staff - all of whom are committed to never giving up on young people who want to live, learn and earn more.”