The Prince's Charities Community: Stories

Young people in South London engage with the arts

The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts has been working with the South London Gallery to bring the arts to pupils at Camelot Primary School and Peckham Academy through its Start programme. The Prince’s Foundation works to bring the arts to children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to do so.

South London Gallery is situated in Peckham in the London borough of Southwark. As a contemporary art gallery it has made a name for itself not only for its groundbreaking shows but also for its innovative education and outreach work. The gallery works closely with Theatre Peckham, a theatre company also based in Southwark, which specialises in providing arts education for young people.

The team at the South London Gallery worked closely with the two schools, Theatre Peckham and The Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts to develop a project that would explore young people’s feeling about their transition from Primary to Secondary school. This transition has been identified as a difficult process particularly for vulnerable young people but the project proved to be an excellent example of the way in which arts can help disadvantaged young people to explore issues that have a big impact on their lives.

Both schools were invited to participate in two workshops at the South London Gallery and one back at school. The workshops encouraged the children to investigate their feelings about moving schools. Themes included how they had felt when they first started school, how they felt now and what advice they would give their younger selves about moving to a bigger school. All of these ideas were explored using movement, writing, mask making and discussion as well as a video element when the young people experienced the delights of a green screen. Throughout the project the children worked with dancers from Theatre Peckham and a visual artist based at South London Gallery. ‘Dancing in Peckham’, a video installation work by Turner prize winning artist Gillian Wearing, was a core element of the programme.

The Year 6 Children from Camelot Primary School were particularly delighted to see their masked selves on an enormous screen in the gallery, dancing down the virtual corridors of Peckham Academy. During one workshop session the children were asked to dance like Gillian Wearing in her video and then wrote placards about how they felt.

“I gave a group whose behaviour is always challenging the opportunity to take part in the project. They were behaving very badly during one of the workshops but I split them up and they ended up producing some really creative work that I really didn’t think they would be able to do. It was lovely to see.” Peckham Academy Teacher

As a result of Start over 200 young people who would never visit the Gallery under their own steam now know where it is and what it offers to them - engaging and entertaining ways of exploring issues that are relevant to their everyday lives.

The Prince's Regeneration Trust helping to regenerate Bletchley Park

The Prince's Regeneration Trust and the Bletchley Park Trustees has announced that the Trust has been appointed to project manage the regeneration of Bletchley Park.

The role of Bletchley Park as 'Station X', the hub of Britain's World War Two decryption operations, puts it among one of the most significant sites in Twentieth Century military history. The site has a key role in post-war developments as well with the Colossus machines built at Bletchley from 1943 onwards pre-figuring the development of the modern programmable computer. The decisive role of the cryptography, which almost certainly altered the course of WWII decisively in favour of the Allies and the intellectual breakthroughs associated with this and the later Colossus programme, make Bletchley the cradle of the computer age.

The Trust will be restoring several areas of the site including some of the legendary huts in which the code breaking took place. The aim of the regeneration project is to enhance the visitor experience, providing a more dynamic tour, more educational events and activities, and better visitor facilities.

A grant of £460,000 has been awarded by the Heritage Lottery fund under a First Round Pass to work up the development phase of the project. The Trust will be primarily responsible for appointing and supervising progress of the design team and other consultants to obtain the necessary listed building and planning consents and reports in order to submit the Second Round HLF application for £4.1million

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive, The Prince's Regeneration Trust, is delighted to be working on such an iconic site:

"We're absolutely thrilled to be working on a site of such great importance to our country. Our aim is to substantially increase the number of visitors to Bletchley Park by making Bletchley attractive and relevant to visitors of all ages and backgrounds. This is a part of our Twentieth Century history but we want it to be a top Twenty First Century visitor destination.

Better displays and exhibition space, more interactive facilities to assist with learning, regular related events, and improved food and drink outlets are all things that the project partners will be working on to increase visitor numbers and encourage repeat visits."

Simon Greenish, Chief Executive of Bletchley Park, believes the Trust's expertise will be invaluable to securing Bletchley Park's future:

“The immensely important historical site of Bletchley Park is now poised to be restored and the full extraordinary story of the work of the code breakers and the impact they had on the war will now be told. It is vitally important that we ensure this site is protected for future generations and with the very generous funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund now in place we can start the work.”

The Prince of Wales, President of The Prince's Regeneration Trust, and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Bletchley Park on 23rd July 2008. During the visit The Prince described Bletchley Park as a "remarkable" place and the codebreaking centre as one of the "greatest British success stories."

The Prince's Charities in Burnley

HRH The Prince of Wales has pledged the support of eight national charities which he created to work in partnership with Burnley Borough Council, the RDA, local businesses and other government and voluntary organisations in taking forward the social, economic and environmental regeneration of Burnley.

The partnership in Burnley between The Prince’s Charities, Burnley Borough Council and other local organisations has now taken a significant step forward with The Prince’s Charities joining the Multi Agency Problem Solving Team (MAPS). The Prince’s Charities will share offices with MAPS, providing a base for the five staff who are now working in Burnley for The Prince’s Charities, and for other visiting members of The Prince’s Charities.

The MAPS Team includes Lancashire Constabulary, Burnley Borough Council, Fire & Rescue, Housing, the Young People’s service, Education, the Primary Care Trust and others, and oversees borough wide projects with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of life for local residents. The move to join The Prince’s Charities with the MAPS Team further cements the relationship between all the organisations in working towards combined goals in the social, economic and environmental regeneration of Burnley.

The Prince of Wales most recently visited Burnley in February 2008 to see at firsthand the work of The Prince’s Charities in the area. Since then a number of developments have progressed the partnership, including the recent addition of the The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts. The organisation have implemented a programme with Mid Pennine Arts that will help over 600 children in the area.

The Prince's Trust is currently running its core 12-week personal development programme, Team, in Burnley with young people who want to get into work, training or education. Alongside this The Trust is running local engagement activities, including key skills development through football-focused projects at Burnley Football Club.

Business in the Community (BITC) has continued to be very active in Burnley supporting a variety of issues from education to business masterclasses. BITC brought together businesses, including Greggs, Barnfield Construction, Aircelle Ltd and Booths supermarket, to work alongside Cherry Folds Primary School in delivering a careers week, which provided a whole range of activities for children to raise aspirations. The formula was so successful that BITC is planning to roll out this programme to other primary schools in Burnley.

Five workshops have been run as part of the Mosaic Business Bridge programme, aimed at supporting aspiring community leaders. These workshops provide training on topics such as Leadership, Sales & Marketing and Social Enterprises with a long term aim to nurture leaders who will provide sustainable activity in Burnley.

Business in the Community also have two new initiatives in the pipeline: The development of a Bank Consortium bringing together senior North West Managers and Directors from the banking sector. It is hoped that this group will help identify how the finance sector can assist Burnley’s economy in the current financial downturn. Finally Business in the Community is working in partnership with Pennine Lancashire Enterprise Trust and Burnley Borough Council to provide a series of masterclasses for local businesses.

The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts is working with Mid Pennine Arts in a three year partnership which will bring a high quality and sustained experience of the arts to over 600 primary school children in Burnley and the surrounding area. Children & the Arts works to ensure access to the arts for children who would otherwise not have this opportunity.

For the first year of the project the pupils involved will experience a theatre performance and one of two contemporary arts exhibitions .They will engage with professional artist educators to develop their interaction with the visits at the venue and supportive work back at school. Each school will have a named creative practitioner attached to them and teachers will be invited to attend half a day’s training to develop the sustainability of the programme in school.

The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts have implemented a Schools Programme for five schools supported by the Lancashire County Council and The Altajir Trust. The programme is built on a series of thematic hands-on workshops for Year 7 students to create objects to adorn the space of the Faith Centre in the Burnley & Pendle Faith Centre. Teachers were introduced to the integral teaching methodology of The Prince’s School and enlisted to support the Students workshops in an orientation session. In their first workshop students designed and produced a series of screens depicting the four seasons. At the most recent workshop in November, they designed and painted a wooden floor inspired by the Cosmati pavement in Westminster Abbey.

Each workshop has generated positive responses from students (“I learned that art can be geometry and that maths can be art.”), teachers (“The expectations have been high and as a result the final work is outstanding. Students have been pushed to extend boundaries and achieve beyond their own expectations.”) and parents (“Beautiful work. I am so impressed with all the techniques, for example marbling, geometry and how skillfully the young people embrace these. Thank you to everyone for giving my son this fantastic opportunity – he has loved it!”).

The programme addresses the need for social cohesion by bringing together students from five different schools who have never before worked together; skills development by encouraging them to work with their head, heart and hands; design and product development through the study of geometry, colour harmony, proportion and symmetry, and in a later phase, enterprise-building by translating designs to products with marketing potential in community workshops that will include parents and teachers.

The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment and The Prince’s Regeneration Trust are continuing to work closely with Burnley Borough Council in offering their expertise to help review the master plan for the town’s regeneration. In particular, they will be helping the council to explore ways in which the largely derelict areas of the Weavers’ Triangle (formerly the heart of the town’s industrial area alongside the Leeds to Liverpool canal), including its heritage buildings, can be restored and adapted to play a part in Burnley’s overall regeneration.

In Kind Direct redistributes donated products to a variety of charities working in Burnley. These range from organisations working with young people to those helping people with specific health conditions. Almost £35,000 worth of goods have been redistributed so far. In Kind aims to increase its work in the area so more charities and the people they serve benefit.

The British Asian Trust, which is the most recent organisation to join The Prince’s Charities, exists to build bridges between the British Asian community, charitable organisations in South Asia and community linked projects in the UK. The Trust will work with organisations involved in the initiative to help support South Asian community projects operating in Burnley.

Download a booklet (pdf) about the work of The Prince's Charities in Burnley.

Cambrian Mountains Initiative

In Mid Wales a cross-cutting partnership has helped to establish a project to protect the environment and add value to services in the area. The Cambrian Mountains Initiative was inspired by The Prince of Wales who as President wishes to help sustain traditional upland farms and rural communities.

The Cambrian Mountains is a distinctive upland area of vast, unspoilt natural beauty that supports valued habitats and species. The region’s farming methods date back to the Middle Ages and sound management of the Cambrian Mountains and their natural ecosystems have an important role to play in the face of climate change. Traditional farming methods can help reduce flooding as well as storing and maintaining the purity of the public water supply in more extreme weather conditions.

The Cambrian Mountains Initiative aims to help consumers connect to the life and people of the Cambrian Mountains by encouraging visits to the area to appreciate its beauty firsthand. One of the aims of the enterprise is to foster a connection between the consumer and the source of their food. By fostering this interrelation between top quality, delicious, natural foods from the area and the touristic attraction of the Cambrian Mountains a mutually beneficial degree of added value will be given to both. Farmers, food producers and tourism businesses who sign up to the principles of the Mynyddoedd Cambrian Mountains brand have the opportunity to use the brand identity on their products and services. This umbrella brand is intended to promote the region and signal values that consumers will recognise, trust and enjoy.

The first product to go to market is Cambrian Mountains Lamb. A group of farms in Mid Wales formed the Cambrian Mountains Lamb Group and currently supply Truly Irresistible Cambrian Lamb to the Co-operative Supermarket group across the UK. The lamb is produced from native breeds in the Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales. The hefted flocks are kept on Farm assured farms using the old “Hafod a Hendre” system. The farms are managed through using skills and knowledge that have been passed down from one generation to the next. One such tradition is the "cyfnewid" system of neighbouring farmers helping each other at certain times of the year such as shearing and Autumn gathering.

The partnership includes Ceredigion, Powys and Carmarthenshire local authorities, the Countryside Council for Rural Wales (CCW) and the Welsh Assembly Government. A food marketing group has also been established chaired by Gareth Rowlands, co-founder of Rachel’s Organic Dairy.

Photo credit: Nick Harmann

The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust - helping young people excel

Now in its twentieth year, The Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust continues its vital work in providing essential financial and professional support to young people in Scotland, aged 18-25, whoever they are and wherever they come from, so that they can set up their own business. Driven by the desire and ambition of the young people themselves, PSYBT will identify and arrange the training required, help with the business plan and suggest addition sources of support and income. To date, the organisation has helped over 10,600 young people.

One person who has benefited greatly from PSYBT, not only through the initial help with funding but also from its aftercare support, is Phil.

Phil found school challenging and left with no qualifications, remaining unemployed for 6 years. He attended various courses but never found employment. Living with his partner and young son he realised at the age of 23 his life had to change. He decided he wanted to do something with his future and approached his local Jobcentre and the New Deal advisors about self employment.

The programme offered to Phil allowed him to be employed for a limited number of hours a week whilst still claiming benefits. He really enjoyed working with a local cleaning business for a year, developing his skills and experience in the process.

His employer was so impressed that he offered to sell him a window cleaning round to get his business started. PSYBT provided the grant and loan funding to allow him to take this opportunity. By the end of his first six months Phil had twice the number of customers he had anticipated. He has since employed four staff (three previously unemployed) and has purchased a second vehicle. He is developing his business further by offering a variety of cleaning services including ‘wheelie bin’ and ‘close’ cleaning. Phil now feels he is building a future for his family and himself.

Thanks to PSYBT, through growing her own business Iline Afrin has found she’s been able to help other young people and her community in return.

Iline returned to Stornoway from Glasgow in 2003, after gaining an HND in Beauty Therapy, to start her own business at the age of 20. Her market research indicated that there was sufficient demand for another beautician on the island and she was confident that she would be able to offer an efficient and quality service at competitive prices. Iline's father, an established Chiropodist in the town, decided to join Iline in the rented premises that she had found. After successfully applying to PSYBT, 'Body and Sole' was born.

One year later the opportunity arose to expand the business. Iline's sister started her own beauty therapy business specialising in nail treatments and joined the company. Iline applied to PSYBT for an expansion loan and for a Growth Fund Accelerator loan to assist her in the purchase of new premises. The new building has several additional rooms which Iline rents out to offer services such hairdressing, reflexology and holistic therapies, specialist massage for injuries, bereavement counselling, reiki and hearing services (ear testing/ administering hearing aids). Previously, islanders would have had to travel to Glasgow or Edinburgh to reach many of these services. Her commitment to providing these amenities has seen her business make a significant investment back into her local area.

Iline is now in talks with the local training offices to provide a training centre through Body & Sole to help provide more therapists for the island. It is the first of its kind in the Outer Hebrides and looks set to be in very high demand. Illine feels the training is an ideal way for budding beauty therapists to gain industry knowledge, work in a professional salon and achieve a qualification without having to leave the island. As part of the scheme, she will have to become an assessor and relishes the challenge!

Mosaic International Summer School

Mosaic held its inaugural International Summer School in July. The School brought together 86 Muslim delegates from across the world to Cambridge and London for a two week programme designed to inspire leadership, engage debate and drive international change. Mosaic, launched in November 2007 after The Prince asked Business in the Community to convene the initiative, works towards a more integrated and thriving society where all individuals, regardless of background, are supported in realising their potential.

Delegates attending the School were selected from a wide range of individuals aged 20- 40 years old from across the world and represented a diverse range of backgrounds and experience – from teachers to designers, HR professionals, students, engineers and business leaders. On returning home, delegates will be encouraged to apply their learning to their communities – ranging from business to academic settings. In addition, the delegates will be invited to become part of the Summer School’s alumni, showing a commitment to positive relations and collaborative action between the Muslim and non Muslim world.

The delegates spent the first week in Cambridge taking part in daily sessions covering discussion topics such as Leadership in Life, International Community Building, Cultures & Community and a session on Environmental Sustainability. Following a weekend in London, the delegates were split up into four groups and spent the next couple of days in either Manchester, Birmingham, Bath or Bristol, where they saw projects that are actively addressing the issues considered in Cambridge. Upon their return to London, the group gathered to discuss what they had witnessed.

John O’Brien, Managing Director of Mosaic, comments:
“Within the UK, Mosaic broadens the horizons of young Muslims and others by providing opportunities to support them realising their full potential. In providing this support, our work not only encourages individuals personally but also encourages greater understanding within society generally. The Mosaic International Summer School, hopes to extend these ideas internationally by investing in young Muslim leaders by raising their understanding of global social and environmental issues that affect everyone. In so doing we aim to support positive leadership to address such issues as well as increase understanding and collaboration between the Muslim and non Muslim world.”

Umer Suleman, a UK delegate, comments:
"The last two weeks have been a fascinating insight into a glimpse of the real Muslim world and our common challenges. As a delegate and facilitator taking part, I felt unsure what to expect, but after two weeks, definitely feel enriched. The programme was great a hive of discussion and determination, fuelled by the diverse speakers and intense workshops. One of the key learnings to have come out of the programme was the value of Human Capital and the importance of being willing to lead any direction, be that in out in the front, or from behind, by motivating others."

The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment wins a government award for village design

A plan for the sensitive growth of a Scottish village by The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment and partners, has won a prestigious "Scottish Award for Quality in Planning". The award was made at a ceremony on 12 March at which Stuart Stevenson MSP and Scotland’s Chief Planner Jim McKinnon were both present.

The award - for Outstanding Performance and Quality in Community Involvement - was made for the urban design of Ellon and its surrounding area in Aberdeenshire by The Prince’s Foundation and partners Urban Design Associates, Scotia Homes, Aberdeenshire Council and crucially, the local community.

Commenting afterwards, Chief Executive Hank Dittmar said: "We and our partners are thrilled to see the Scottish government so positively affirming community involvement in neighbourhood design. The judges commented that Ellon was not a 'once-off' but could be adapted for any village. It is only by listening to local wisdom – the stories, traditions and culture of a place - that new development can have a hope of enriching what is already there and flourishing into the future."

To create the design for Ellon, The Prince’s Foundation team began with intensive local consultation to establish what mattered to local people about the future of the village. The consensus was that people should be able to live, work and spend leisure time locally and that the historic core of the town should have better access and preform better as a centre. Through sketching and watercolours and ultimately a scale model, the local community were helped to visualise how changes would affect the town. Finally, a pattern book which carefully detailed the kind of streets, buildings and public spaces that could be built was presented.

Hank Dittmar continues: "The Prince’s Foundation looks forward to working with the team at Ellon to deliver our first exemplar project in Scotland."

Top London chefs experience Mey Selections' award winning produce

On a trip organised and hosted by Mey Selections, and with the support of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, ten top London chefs have experienced for themselves just what it is about the North Highlands that produces award winning food and drink.

Keen to support young local talent and develop skills for the next generation, Mey Selections arranged with the North Highland College at Thurso for their catering students to prepare an informal lunch for the visiting chefs. The students rose to the challenge with gusto and as Lisa Sutherland, Senior Sous Chef at The Sheraton, Park Lane, commented, "These students are an excellent example of the skills base and enthusiasm alive in this area."

During their trip the chefs also enjoyed a private tour of the Castle of Mey. A watercolour painting of the castle by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay is reproduced on all Mey Selections products.

Other highlights of the visit included:

An early morning visit to Scrabster Seafoods where they were able to meet Managing Director William Calder and see for themselves the quality of the fish and shellfish, as well as observe the daily Fish Market
A visit and discussion with Danny Miller, Chairman of Mey Selections, at his beef farm at Bilbster, near Wick
A Tour of Old Pulteney Distillery at Wick
Cheese tasting and discussions with Rory Stone at his creamery near Tain
A trip to Struan Apiaries near Conan Bridge, where prize-winning honey maker Hamish Robertson and his sons produce Mey Selections honeys.

Tracy Waters, Business Development Manager for Mey Selections explained, "It is less than four years since Mey Selections was formed by Caithness farmers, inspired by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, to select and source supplies of the highest quality farm, marine and food products from the North Highlands. In that time the brand has attracted not only a host of awards and interest from consumers around the UK, but it has succeeded in supporting the economic development of the area and our aim is to continue to build on this success.

"We are proud that these London chefs, and the hoteliers, farmers and fishers and food producers in the North Highlands can get to know each other a bit more through this trip - and that customers in London can taste our products."

Derek Quelch, Head Chef of the leading London Goring Hotel, said, "During this visit we have been privileged to meet some of the farmers, fishermen and fine food producers who so obviously care for their environment and the sustainability of food production in the area."

Philip Corrick, Head Chef of the Royal Automobile Club, commented, "I am certain I speak for the rest of the group when I say that the North Highlands is unique in the UK in being able to deliver time after time, such a variety of quality produce – be it beef, lamb, mutton, seafood, cheese or bakery products, and much more. The winning combination of the unspoilt environment together with the care and traditional skills employed by the region’s fine food producers creates wonderful ingredients and products which consistently deliver on taste and performance. I, for one, am happy to include them in our menus and offer them to the guests in our restaurants".

The formation of North Highland Products and the creation of the Mey Selections brand are direct results of the North Highlands Initiative inspired by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, which was launched in August 2005 to boost the economy of the region.

PRIME Cymru celebrates 500th volunteer

A project that is boosting the voluntary sector in Wales has celebrated recruiting its 500th volunteer. Since the charity Prime Cymru set up its ‘Experience Counts’ scheme last April the project has spread the word about volunteering to over 2,000 people and helped more than 500 of them find placements in the voluntary sector.

Prime Cymru supports Welsh people aged 50 and over through projects to help them set up businesses or find other employment. The ‘Experience Counts’ scheme uses volunteering as a stepping stone to work by increasing skills.

The celebration at Porthcawl's Seabank Hotel marked the work of Prime Cymru's 500th volunteering recruit, Vikki Efford from Pontycymer near Bridgend. Mrs Efford has been volunteering for 43 years and works full-time and unsalaried for various charitable projects including Prime Cymru's Volunteer Mentoring Scheme which has supported 5,000 people, helped launch over 1,200 business and aided the creation of over 1,800 jobs.

Welsh Assembly Government Deputy Minister for Social Services Gwenda Thomas presented Vikki with a commemorative trophy and flowers. Ms Thomas, Assembly Member for Neath, told the audience that Wales has a higher proportion of older people when compared to the UK and that addressing the implications of an ageing Wales was not a quick fix.

She added, "It is vital to help older people back into economic activity. To use volunteering as a stepping stone is a rewarding route not only for the volunteer but also for the community."

58-year-old Vikki's work was also praised in the message from Prime Cymru's founder and patron The Princes of Wales who offered her his "warmest congratulations."

Mrs Efford said, "I've helped people but I enjoy helping them, it makes me feel useful. I wanted to put something back into my community and I hope I have."

The Prince's Charities Film

This film, narrated by Sanjeev Bhaskar, gives a flavour of the work of The Prince’s Charities, showing how they operate by bringing their different areas of expertise together to achieve a common goal.

School children experience theatre for the first time; global companies call on world leaders to tackle climate change; potters in Afghanistan preserve their traditional skills – just three of hundreds of initiatives where The Prince of Wales is helping to address unmet needs.

Why not join us as a member of The Prince’s Charities Community and you can enjoy the full-length 35 minute film, as well as receiving other regular benefits.

If you are already a member, please sign-in to watch to the whole film.