Real Business - The Champion of UK Enterprise

Getting new businesses off the ground is all about trust

By Rebecca Burn-Callander, published 2 years ago in Archive.

I’m not the only one who’s impressed. The Trust’s patrons include steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and telecoms magnate Charles Dunstone. In fact, a whole host of entrepreneurs and more than 150 FTSE100 companies have leant their support to the cause.

But this is no ordinary sort of charity.

There’s a general atmosphere of productivity about the place. A buzzy, “let’s save the world one step at a time” sort of feeling. Quite unlike the hushed, hospital vibe that do-gooder organisations sometimes give off.

But do good they do. The stats show that 75 per cent of the young people who come through the charity’s development programmes either find work, start up their own businesses or seek further training.

In a business climate where entrepreneurs are feeling the squeeze – and innovation is positively quashed by red tape and regulation – here’s someplace where the young‘uns are slipping through the cracks into gainful employment.

Even the café at the HQ is often staffed by young people looking for a leg up into work. “It’s a really great scheme,” says director Paul Brown. “At head office, we get so little direct contact with the people we’re helping. It’s really inspiring to have them here.”

So, Prince’s Trust, keep up the good work. We, at Real Business, salute you.