Amazon has pledged £1 million to The Prince’s Trust’s new Strengthening Diversity Fund, to support underserved young people across the UK to build better futures for themselves.
The fund will help provide opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds to succeed in education, employment, and entrepreneurship, with a range of tailored programmes available through the charity.
To mark the start of the commitment, Amazon and The Prince’s Trust have brought together some of the most inspiring names in the UK to share their advice for young people, including Diary of a CEO creator Steven Bartlett, Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith, and Guardians of the Galaxy star Will Poulter. The advice has been turned into art that will be displayed in schools around the country, with other names involved including Olympic gold medallist Greg Rutherford, TV presenter June Sarpong, music producer Naughty Boy, and celebrity entrepreneur Sara Davies.
Alongside this, a new line of mind-positive merchandise including t-shirts and hoodies designed by young ambassadors for The Prince’s Trust is also being made available to buy on Amazon in support of the charity. People can shop the range and find out more about the fund at amazon.co.uk/princestrust.
John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon, said: “We are proud to be a platinum patron of The Prince’s Trust, and a founding partner of its Strengthening Diversity Fund – which supports underserved young people across the UK to build better futures for themselves. By sharing advice from inspirational people in schools around the country, we hope to light up imaginations, and help inspire young people to reach their full potential.”
Jonathan Townsend, UK Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust, said: “It is an honour to work with Amazon, and we are incredibly grateful for their commitment to The Prince’s Trust. Being able to inspire and motivate young people is a core part of our mission. The Trust’s programmes build confidence and skills among young people who face disadvantage and adversity, supporting them on their pathway to work. By partnering with those who share this goal we can continue our vital work, ultimately helping more young people to reach their potential and live stable and fulfilled lives.”
Over the last five years, four out of five of the young people who completed programmes with The Prince’s Trust moved into work, education or training. Research from Amazon also shows that 14 is the age when young people are most influenced by advice to help shape their future, with 78 per cent of teachers saying that high profile figures including entrepreneurs, athletes, and musicians positively influence their students in finding their career path and 80 per cent saying they help them to build better futures for themselves.
List of advice shared by inspirational figures:
Steven Bartlett, entrepreneur and podcaster: “Life’s too short to be anything other than yourself”
Jorja Smith, Grammy-nominated music artist: “Embrace your flaws, for they make you unique”
Greg Rutherford MBE, Olympic gold medallist: “Take a leap of faith”
June Sarpong OBE, TV presenter: “It’s for the taking”
Naughty Boy, music producer: “Value your imagination”
Sara Davies MBE, entrepreneur: “There is no right path”
Will Poulter, actor: “Trying your hardest is always enough”
