Young people turning their lives around with The Prince's Trust in Grimsby today met with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, on her first ever visit to a Trust programme.
Credit/Copyright: DukeAndDuchessOfCambridge.org
The Duchess was visiting Grimsby’s Peaks Lane Fire Station to meet young people from The Prince’s Trust Team programme delivered in partnership with Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.
Unemployment hotspot Grimsby has one of the highest levels of youth joblessness in the country, with around one in three young people struggling to find a job.
Martina Milburn, chief executive of The Prince’s Trust, said: “We’ve been delighted to welcome HRH The Duchess of Cambridge to Grimsby and show her the vital work The Prince’s Trust does with disadvantaged young people.”
She continued, “Grimsby has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the UK, so we’re working hard here to give young people the skills and confidence to find jobs.”
As well as meeting with the young people, The Duchess was also introduced to the fire crews working at the station and shown the station’s fleet of fire engines.
Current Prince’s Trust Team member, Darren Field, 20, who met The Duchess today, said: "Being made redundant not once but twice left me at one of the lowest points in my life and I struggled to pick myself up after that.
“Team has helped me so much already so it was great to show The Duchess just what it does for young people. Things like this don’t happen every day in Grimsby so it was very exciting and we were all very proud to be representing The Prince’s Trust.”
The Trust’s Team programme is a 12-week personal development scheme which helps unemployed 16 to 25-year-olds build the skills and confidence they need to get a job. The Duchess was also able to meet past members of the Team programme who have now turned their lives around and found work.
Past Team member, Matthew Pettiford, 24, of Grimsby, said: “Team helped me to refocus and gave me invaluable support to get my life back on track. Getting to meet The Duchess has been a huge honour and I was very proud to be representing past Grimsby Team programme members.”
Jamie Morris, Prince’s Trust Team Leader of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This has been a huge boost for our young people today and it was great to show The Duchess some of the things that we have been working on to enhance their skills, confidence and employability. The Team programme has been run from Grimsby Fire Station since 2011 and has helped 65 young people from around the region in that time.”
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service has been working in partnership with The Prince’s Trust providing inspirational leadership and guidance to help young people in Grimsby since September 2011. The Trust’s Team programme is run in partnership with the Fire Service, as well as other partners, across the country.
Young people on the scheme take part in a residential, a community project and a work experience placement over the course of 12 weeks, while developing team-building skills and CV-writing skills. As well as gaining valuable teamwork, communication and social skills, Teams make a great contribution to the community, undertaking refurbishment projects for community centres and local parks, and working with other groups such as disabled children.
The Grimsby Team programme is also funded through a partnership with Grimsby Institute which provides support for young people to gain The Prince’s Trust Certificate in Employment, Teamwork & Community Skills.
Source: Prince's Trust
