Prince’s Trust Team Helps Build A Better Future For Young People

Published on: 9 Apr, 2013
Updated on: 10 Apr, 2013

Participating in a Prince’s Trust Team can seriously change a young person’s future for the better. 

Some of the members of the latest Guildford prince’s Trust Team, from back and from left: Richard Gockelen, Matt Latham, Peter Henry, Josh Brede, Roland Varga, with Molly Boxall and Sammy-Jo Langley at the front.

Currently 12 young people aged 16 to 25 are completing their community project as part of the Guildford Prince’s Trust Team based at Plantation, Market Street.

Led by Cassie Cowan and Jenni Daniel of Guildford YMCA’s Plantation youth work department, the young people are nearly half way through this life-changing course.

They have been on quite a journey already. A week spent on the wilds of Dartmoor threw them together to face challenges on a team and individual level. Since then they spent a week fundraising.

One particularly talkative team member did a sponsored silence, and the group sold doughnuts and cakes in various work places around Guildford town centre.

They chose to redecorate the entrance and hallways of the No 5 night shelter in York Road for their community project.

They have had to work hard to make that project a success. Alongside all this they have been stretched in ways they may never have experienced before, and their negative beliefs about themselves are constantly being questioned.

Team leader Cassie said: “The team have worked really hard to get this project completed. Some of the team have really stepped up in their ability to lead and others in their ability to see something through to the end. They should be very proud of themselves.”

For young people who have few qualifications, no sense of direction and little hope for the future, being on the team has a profound effect. Making new friends is a huge positive, and as team progresses the young people’s growing support for each other is heartwarming. They discover they can achieve far more than they thought possible, and what seemed unattainable at the start of the 12-week course, gradually becomes more achievable over time.

There are plenty of challenges ahead still for this group of young people. They will spend two weeks on work experience in varied settings such as a care home for the elderly, an IT department and a children’s nursery. If you can offer a work experience placement for this or a future team Cassie would love to hear from you.

After that they will get down to evaluating and enhancing their CVs, get a taste of the interview process and undertake further fundraising and work for the local community. Those that persevere to the end of the course will truly deserve to feel they’ve achieved something significant. And best of all, each young person will be better equipped to find work and hold a job down.

In the current climate things are tough for young people but the Prince’s Trust Team course is giving this group an advantage. The next team will run in Guildford in September. If you know anyone who could benefit from 12 life changing weeks call Cassie or Jenni on 01483 888122 and visit www.plantationcafe.org.uk for more information.

Share This Post