Our history
The Trust has become the UK's leading youth
charity, offering a range of opportunities including training,
personal development, business start up support, mentoring and
advice.
The Prince's Trust was founded in 1976 by The Prince of Wales.
Having completed his duty in the Royal Navy, His Royal Highness
became dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged young
people in the UK, and began The Trust to deliver on that
commitment.
1976
- The Prince's Trust was launched.
- Twenty-one pilot projects were set up around the
country. Grants were given to a 19-year old woman to run a
social centre for the Haggerston Housing Estate in east London, and
for two ex-offenders to run a fishing club. Funds hired swimming
baths in Cornwall to train young life guards and for a self-help
bicycle repair scheme.
1982
- Our first fundraising concert took place, which raised
£72,000. Bands helped, funded or started by The Trust played
alongside established pop stars including Status Quo.
- The first Prince's Trust Rock Gala was held at the
Dominion Tottenham Court Road, with Madness, Joan Armatrading, Phil
Collins, Kate Bush and Pete Townshend. Rock galas continued through
the '80s.
1983
- Business start-up programme was launched for the young
unemployed. Within three years, 1,000 businesses were trading
and 80% survived the first year of existence.
1984
- Week-long residential events were held at holiday camps around
the UK, drawing hundreds of deprived young people. Camps continued
annually for 13 years, and in 1996 an international
version was held in France.
1985
- The Prince of Wales Community Venture was
launched. This was an intensive 42-week programme,
containing a mix of challenges, outdoors activity teamwork, and
community care. This later developed into the Volunteers
Programme.
1987
- Jim Gardner was appointed as Chairman of Trustees and Tom
Shebbeare as the first full-time director of The Prince's
Trust.
1988
- £40 million appeal was launched in The Prince's 40th
birthday year, which was matched by the government to a total of
£80 million.
1990
- The Prince's Trust Volunteers Programme was launched, a 12-week
personal development programme for 16-25 year olds, both unemployed
and employed. By 1995, 10,000 young people had completed the
programme. By 2000 the figure is 50,000.
- Study Support was launched, providing underachieving
pupils with after hours study centres. The initiative was taken up
by the Government in 1997.
1994
- The first residential music school took place. It evolved into
the nationwide Sound Live programme, teaching young unemployed
people about the music business.
1996
- The Trust held the first rock concert in Hyde Park for over 20
years. This marked the start of a long-term strategy to establish a
link between The Trust and young people's passions - music, fashion
and sport.
- Development Awards - originally one-off £100 or £200 grants
- were shaped to incorporate ongoing guidance and support. By
1998, groups of young people can apply for grants up to £15,000 to
develop their own projects in the local community.
1997
- The Prince's Trust pilots a Team project supported by the
Premier League, Football Foundation and Professional Footballers'
Association which would later be rolled out to include more than 60
clubs from across the four professional leagues.
1998
- New initiatives were launched: mentors for teenagers leaving
care, a scheme to target young offenders and xl clubs to
motivate 15 and 16 year olds and keep them at school.
1999
- The various Trust charities were brought together as The
Prince's Trust. This was recognised by HM The Queen at a ceremony
in Buckingham Palace, when she granted it a Royal Charter.
2000
- The organisational structure of The Trust changed. There
continued to be a national strategy for the UK as a whole, but
Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and each of the English regions
now had a fully-accountable Director and Council.
2001
- The total number of young people who had been helped in some
way by the Trust reached 400,000 people. The total receiving
sustained help per year reached 25,000.
2002
- The Business Programme hit a milestone with the 50,000th
young person supported into self-employment.
- The Trust announced a £5m investment over three years to
help 30,000 people a year who leave school with no
qualifications and low basic skills. The total of young people
supported reached 450,000.
2003
- The 10,000th Development Award. The Prince's Trust held the
first Fashion Rocks at Royal Albert Hall, with world class music
artists and fashion designers sharing the stage. The event raised
£1.1 million.
2004
- The Prince's Trust, in partnership with the Royal Bank of
Scotland Group, released a landmark piece of research. Reaching the
Hardest to Reach profiled the young people being left behind
by UK society.
- The Trust launched a new series, Celebrate Success, honouring
achievements of young people and volunteers with a series of
regional and country events culminating with a national event
attended by The Prince of Wales, celebrity Ambassadors, press and
many others.
- The Urban Music Festival, a cutting edge, interactive event
sold out over two days at London's Earls Court, drawing 30,000
people, making it the UK's largest urban music event.
2005
- The Premier League, Football Foundation and the Professional
Footballers' Association re-confirmed their commitment to The
Prince's Trust by pledging a further £2m, extending the partnership
until 2008. To date almost 10,000 young people have benefited from
the initiative.
2006
- The Prince's Trust turned 30.
- Our first national fundraising and advertising campaign
launched.
- A special 30th Birthday concert took place at the Tower of
London.
- An ITV documentary, 'The Prince of Wales: Up Close', profiled
the Prince and his work with The Trust.
- A three hour live televised event on ITV, hosted by Ant &
Dec, featured a world exclusive first interview with all three
princes - Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry.
- The first Palace to Palace cycle ride took place, from
Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle.
2007
- The Trust launched a landmark study which calculated the Cost
of Exclusion.
- A new initiative, Breaking the Cycle, made progress towards
helping ex-offenders.
- This year also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Football
initiative. Fashion Rocks returned to The Royal Albert Hall.
2008
- The Business Programme celebrated its 25th anniversary with the
launch of the Business Club for programme alumni and the
Enterprise Fellowship.
- On his 60th birthday, HRH The Prince of Wales launched the
first Prince's Trust Youth Week campaign, challenging the media to
present a more balanced view of young people.
- Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh visited The
Trust’s head office.
2009
- The Trust launched a new website, achieving over 5 million page
views in the year.
- The Trust started using Twitter and passed the 5,000 followers
mark.
- The Palace to Palace bike ride attracted over 3,000
riders.
- The first Million Makers national final took place.
- Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited The Trust’s head office to
meet with young people.
- Charles Dunstone, Chief Executive of The Carphone Warehouse,
became Chairman of The Prince’s Trust.
2010
- The Undiscovered campaign
highlighted the potential of the young unemployed, gaining
significant media coverage
- The Rock Gala made a return to
the Royal Albert Hall with a sell-out performance and 3D coverage
on television.
- The Team programme celebrated its 20th anniversary with
Make a Change week with
support from the leaders of all the main political parties.
- The Enterprise
Programme replaced the Business Programme, helping more
young people to explore enterprise. Make it Happen, The Trust's
guide to staring up in business, was published.
2011
- The Trust merged with another youth charity, Fairbridge,
extending the reach of its programmes, though a network of Prince's
Trust centres
- In the wake of rising youth unemployment and summer riots, The
Trust increased its support in affected areas
- The Trust celebrated its 35th anniversary with a month-long
campaign
- Celebrities supported The Trust at the Rock Gala and Gary
Barlow played a concert in aid of The Trust. The Cheryl Cole
Foundation announced its support for The Trust.
2012
- Million Makers challenge
participants collectively raised £1million for the first
time
- The Prince's Trust launched a second Palace to Palace bike ride
in the West Midlands
- Through Opportunity 2012, The Trust
played a valuable role in involving young people across the UK in
the excitement of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games.
- Musician and philanthropist will.i.am
donated £500,000 to The Trust, to fund education, training and
enterprise schemes with a focus on technology and computer
skills
- The Trust celebrated the A to Z of
Prince's Trust businesses across the summer
- November saw comedians raising the roof for young people, with
We Are Most Amused, The Prince's Trust
comedy extravaganza