The Prince of Wales this evening launched Prince’s Trust International, the global extension of the UK’s leading youth charity.
The launch was held at a ceremony with President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca at the Palace in Valletta.
Prince’s Trust International builds on the success of the UK charity which has supported 825,000 young people since it was founded in 1976. It provides consultancy, advice, training and access to programmes which support unemployed and vulnerable young people to succeed in education, employment and enterprise.
Alan Kennedy, chief executive of Prince’s Trust International said: “I’ve seen the difference The Prince’s Trust makes, supporting hundreds of thousands of young people into education and employment across the UK. Now we have the opportunity to develop the confidence and skills of young people in countries throughout the world. It’s an exciting opportunity to help tackle one of the defining issues of our time, youth unemployment, lifting young people out of poverty and despair.”
Prince’s Trust International has been developed in response to requests for advice and support from more than 20 governments and agencies across the world.
President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca a few months ago established The President’s Trust in Malta after witnessing the work of The Prince’s Trust, supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable people in the UK. A memorandum of understanding was signed between The Prince’s Trust, UK and the President’s Trust, Malta to enable the two charitable organisations to collaborate on projects.
HSBC Malta has invested in a programme in seven schools to support young people who are struggling in education and risk exclusion. The initiative is based on Prince’s Trust xl Clubs which operate in more than 400 UK schools, supporting almost 100,000 young people since 1999.
Marks & Spencer, has completed its first employability programme in Malta, supporting a group of unemployed young people in its Valletta and Sliema stores.
"The President’s Trust is seeking to help to break the cycle of poverty, the cycle of social benefits, and the cycle of crime," President Coleiro Preca said.