Following the Coronation last weekend, my charity of the week is The Prince’s Trust. It all began in 1976 when His Majesty King Charles III then The Prince of Wales had a bold idea. Having completed his duty in the Royal Navy, His Majesty King Charles III became dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged young people here in the UK. He founded his Trust to deliver on that commitment.
At the time, the UK was struggling under record levels of unemployment under a Labour Government, with young people being left behind. The Prince used his Navy severance pay – £7,400 – to fund several community initiatives. Twenty-one pilot projects were set up around the country.
By 2001, The Prince’s Trust was supporting 25,000 young people each year and had become a national charity with impressive scale and impact.
Swindon-based charity, Inner Flame, which was established in 2008, runs the hugely powerful Prince’s Trust Team Programme, to inspire young people here in the town and give them the tools and mindset that they need to thrive in their future lives.
The programme is a free 12-week course for young unemployed people between the ages of 16 and 25. Throughout the programme, young people meet new people, gain a qualification, and go on a week-long residential course and much more, all thanks to funding from The Prince’s Trust.
You can find out more about the excellent local charity Inner Flame on their website here https://innerflame.org.uk/
Further information about The Prince’s Trust can be found on the website here https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/
Image: Local charity, Inner Flame, running a Prince's Trust Programme