Little more than two years ago, Zaid Jawad was in prison doing time for robbery.

It was the latest in a string of jail terms he had been given for crimes committed to feed his drug habit.

But it was also the last.

And now the 26-year-old, who lives in Bath, has shared his inspiring story with Prince Charles.

It was the heir to the throne's youth charity, the Prince's Trust, which helped him on the road to recovery.

Zaid moved to Bath after leaving prison two years ago, and met the Prince of Wales at the Cafe of Good Hope in South East London, which was set up by the parents of a schoolboy, Jimmy Mizen, who was murdered in the capital four years ago.

He attended the event alongside other young people who have turned their backs on crime, gangs and violence with help from the trust.

Zaid grew up on a notorious estate in west London and first went to prison at the age of 16.

His parents separated when he was five, and moving between each of their homes meant that he had an unsettled childhood.

"As a child growing up in a tough area of London, I witnessed a lot of violence, and I didn't know any different," he said. "I was involved in gangs from a young age – they gave me a sense of security and belonging."

To cope with personal problems, he turned to drugs and at the age of 24, was serving a sentence for robbery at Guys Marsh jail in Dorset.

It was there that he resolved to try to stay out of trouble upon his release.

"I knew I wanted to change, but I felt like I was fighting a losing battle," he said. "No matter how hard I tried, I always ended up going back to prison."

He heard about the trust's One-to-One project, a mentoring scheme which matches reformed ex-offenders with young people leaving prison, and put his name forward.

Before and after his release from prison, Zaid received support from a trust mentor to help him battle his drug problems, find somewhere to live and started thinking about a career.

He said: "I couldn't afford to go back to the same place and the same people. Some of my friends in London had died or been murdered due to their involvement in drugs and crime – I had to get away."

Two years later, Zaid is completing a plastering course at college and preparing to set up his own business. He also volunteers as a young ambassador for the trust, inspiring other young people to turn their lives around.

"I am absolutely certain that I'd be in prison now if it wasn't for the Prince's Trust. I cannot thank them enough for believing in me and giving me a second chance in life."