2025 Winner
ASHLEIGH LANCASTER
Young woman who is overcoming the trauma of domestic abuse launches new career supporting others.
Ashleigh Lancaster, 28, has never followed a conventional path and she’s proud of it.
After experiencing the long-term impact of domestic abuse, Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), and chronic health conditions, Ashleigh was forced to leave her job in community care.
Ashleigh found a lifeline through The King’s Trust. The charity supported her both personally and professionally, helping her rebuild her self-confidence and shape a new path forward.
In 2023, Ashleigh received a grant through The King’s Trust’s Enterprise Programme and went on to launch ‘Lancaster Solutions’ in 2024. Trained to deliver mental health first aid training, Ashleigh was inspired by her own experience of how frontline responders often lacked the compassion needed to handle trauma. Drawing on this, her business aimed to bridge that gap.
However, as the business grew, so did the demands on her health. When ongoing health challenges meant stepping back, Ashleigh made the difficult but courageous decision to pause her business and prioritise her wellbeing – a bold and honest move rooted in growth and self-awareness.
Now, Ashleigh is retraining as an assistance dog trainer. The new direction honours her physical and emotional needs while allowing her to continue supporting others with complex health conditions. The choice was inspired by the life-saving bond with her own assistance dog, Blu.
Despite the weight of what she was carrying, Ashleigh refused to stay silent. She has become a fierce advocate for survivors of domestic abuse. Her lived experience fuels her work to improve how the justice system responds to coercive control, stalking, inadequate sentencing and breaches of Non-Harassment Orders, all of which directly impact the safety and wellbeing of those facing gender-based violence. She used her voice to challenge systems that often fail those most in need.
Her advocacy has reached the highest levels of government. Ashleigh’s case is currently with the Justice Secretary who has issued an official acknowledgement and apology, showing that her voice is being heard.