Member Article

Campaign to dispel hoody myth comes to star-studded climax

A campaign to give hope to a lost generation of more than one million young people who are dismissed by society as “layabouts” or “hoodies” came to a spectacular climax on Saturday night with a star-studded event. The Prince’s Trust 30th Birthday campaign to raise awareness of the work of the Trust concluded with a concert at the Tower of London. The event included performances from Ozzy Osbourne, McFly, Bee Gees – Barry and Robin Gibb, Pink, Embrace, Annie Lennox, Lionel Richie, Sugababes, Ronan Keating and Will Young. TV viewers were asked to pledge money through a BT-enabled donation line number, 08456 56 30 30. Early indications are that the campaign raised about £3million for the Trust which is headed by HRH The Prince of Wales. The money will go towards supporting the work of the Trust which has helped over half a million young people over the past thirty years and continues to support 100 more young people every day.A survey which was launched to coincide with the campaign revealed that 80 per cent of the population believes that more should be done to give young people a second chance, as many as one in four don’t know how to help them. The support of family and friends (38 per cent) was considered to be the most important factor for a young person to succeed in life, ahead of motivation (21 per cent) or talent (two per cent).Martina Milburn, Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust, said, “Turning thirty can bring with it certain expectations, which most of us can handle. However, for some young people things like a career and qualifications will remain a dream without extra support. “Too many young people feel like they matter to no one. We need to raise awareness that all young people have a talent and give hope to those who have none. Our 30th Birthday campaign aims to raise millions of pounds to invest in young people’s futures.” The survey also revealed that only a third (34.8%) of your friends and family think you should own a home by the time your thirty. While starting a family (16.5%) and marriage (10.1%) are pushed well down the pecking order – a far cry from past generations. For more information about the Princes Trust and the practical solutions it provides to help young people, visit www.princes-trust.org.uk/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .