When Christina Smith was growing up, there were times when she felt she had nothing to live for.

However, she managed to turn her "chaotic" life around thanks to support from the Prince's Trust charity.

The 20-year-old, who lives in Highfields, Leicester, experienced family difficulties after her parents separated.

She is speaking out about her experiences following the release of a new report by the trust, which warns that youngsters growing up without a daily routine are more likely to struggle at school.

Speaking about her childhood, Christina said: "I was all over the place at school.

"I didn't have a good relationship with my family and moving home a lot really affected my confidence.

"I had no set routine or guidance with my schoolwork and it really brought me down."

Following her parents' separation, Christina initially lived with her mum but their relationship broke down and she left when she was 15. She changed homes three times while studying for GCSEs.

"I managed to do my GCSEs but didn't get the grades I could have if I'd had more support or a stable life," Christina said.

"I felt so low without having something to live for."

Around this time, Christina saw an advert for The Prince's Trust Team programme in the Leicester Mercury and joined the 12-week personal development course.

She now works for Shoe Zone's online business.

"The Prince's Trust changed my life," she said. "They gave me the guidance to move forward and I can't thank them enough."

The Prince's Trust report gauges how young people feel about their lives across a range of areas from family life to physical health.

Published yesterday, it shows more than one in 10 young people questioned felt their days "lacked structure and direction" while growing up.

John O'Reilly, regional director of the Prince's Trust in the East Midlands, said: "Our programmes give intense, structured support – helping to prevent potential drop-outs and exclusions."