A YOUNG man from Blackburn who turned his life around from homelessness, alcohol and drug abuse to become an NHS key worker has been shortlisted for a national award. Thomas Pemberton, 22, says that for much of his early life he had been heading down the wrong path, having become homeless at 18 due to a breakdown in his relationships at home before turning to drugs and alcohol. However, Thomas realised something had to change and was fortunate that the Prince’s Trust charity was there to help him pull himself back from the brink and work towards securing a job as a key worker in East Lancashire Hospital Trust’s laundry department.