Charity to aid young people

Prince Charles set up the trust with his naval pension

A charity which has helped more than 450,000 young people, is opening in Leicester.

The Prince's Trust is to open a new office for the East Midlands at Mansion House on Guildhall Lane in the city.

Since it began in 1976, the trust has helped young people develop confidence, learn new skills, get into work and start new businesses.

The regional expansion is to try and provide a fuller range of activities at a local level.

'Growth sectors'

Percy Emmett, the Creative Industries Manager for the trust, says Leicester was chosen not only for its central location, but for its wealth of opportunities.

"The trust identified the creative industries are one of the biggest growth sectors in the area and Leicester seems to have an ever increasing number of those.

Ranging from architecture to design to television and radio, they could be cameramen, sound engineers, that sort of thing."

Grass roots

This year in the East Midlands the Prince's Trust will be assisting over 1,800 young people to succeed through it's various initiatives and programmes.

Regional director, Mir Juma said: "We will have a local presence, working closely with the local communities, with young people who are hardest to reach.

"Very much coming down to the grass roots level we really want to identify with local communities."

The trust will also be advising and supporting young people who want to set up their own businesses.