On behalf of the Prince’s Trust in Scotland, I would like to thank all those volunteers, staff, supporters, charities and ambassadors who have worked locally for the charity and helped more than 4,000 of Scotland’s disadvantaged young people in 2007.
The trust gives practical and financial support to those aged 14 to 25 who are struggling at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law, helping them to overcome barriers and get their lives working. Our programmes lead to more than 70 per cent of those we support moving into jobs, education or training.
The challenge we face is significant, with one in five of Scotland’s young people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training. This is a tremendous waste of human potential and one that we at the trust aim to tackle. Each person the trust seeks to help has his or her own talents, strengths, aspirations, problems and barriers, and through the right on- the-ground support locally, it has helped many of them transform their lives. It is organisations such as the trust, working with the Scottish Government, local authorities and the private sector, that are key to tackling Scotland’s disengaged young people.
We hope we can build on and surpass last year’s achievements in this coming year.
Geraldine Gammell, director, The Prince’s Trust Scotland, Glasgow.
