Prince's Trust Day on Scala Radio
Join us as we celebrate Prince's Trust Day on Thursday 15th September
Last updated 14th Oct 2020
Over the past three weeks Scala Radio has celebrated the work of The Prince’s Trust in their goal to help change young lives across the UK. We have had amazing prizes as well as celebrity ambassadors joining us on air to talk about the Prince’s Trusts fantastic work including Stephen Fry, Sanjeev Bhaskar Martin Clunes and Damian Lewis.
Listen to Scala Radio on Thursday 15th September, as we celebrate Princes Trust Day, and hear from celebrity ambassadors and young people, as they share their experiences across the day.
What is The Prince’s Trust?
The Prince's Trust deploys a range of different initiatives to bring about impactful change - from running programmes to helping unemployed young people gain the skills and confidence they need to find a job or training opportunity and even set up their own business.
Find out how you can support the Prince's Trust here.
Damian Lewis
On Tuesday 13th October, actor and producer, Damian Lewis, best known for his appearances in Band of Brothers, Billions and Homeland, joined Simon Mayo to speak about his experiences as an Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust.
“To work with a charity that was targeting very specifically young people in this country, and grabbing them at the point where they might take a wrong turning, or might have just taken a wrong turning, but, it's still an opportunity to steer them back on the right course, was brilliant.”
Lewis also spoke of Leon McGhie, who was awarded the Prince’s Trust Homesense Young Achiever award in 2019, who had his head turned through gang culture, and had been stabbed 5 times. “He approached the Prince's Trust, took on their course which is called Team, not realising that the course was delivered by the MET police, and he turned his life around.”
Sanjeev Bhaskar
English comedian, actor and television presenter, Sanjeev Bhaskar is best known for his work on sketch comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42. He has also been an Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust for 20 years. Sanjeev spoke to Simon about how he became an Ambassador for the Trust, “It was only a couple of years after I started in this ‘Bizz called show’, I got a call from the Trust, saying, ‘there was a youth centre in North London’. They asked the kids, who would they like to come along? And for some strange reason, they mentioned me.
"I happily went along, and I was just really inspired by them, and I wanted to know more about what the Trust is, and subsequently, after that, I just thought, how can I be more supportive or involved.”
Martin Clunes
Martin Clunes, who is best known for playing Martin Ellingham in the ITV series Doc Martin and Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, chatted to Simon from his voice-over studio in Dorset.
“I’d hesitate to call it the work I do because I have zero expertise,” said Clunes when asked why he chose to get involved with The Prince’s Trust, “but I'm off the telly and when they consider that appropriate to play someone on the telly, then I'm very happy to turn up.”
“I’m also just bowled over by, not only the imagination of the stuff that they do”, Clunes continued, speaking of how The Prince’s Trust offers help and support. “I’m also just bowled over by, not only the imagination of the stuff that they do, which, to my mind catches people who've fallen through other nets, who've had a series of bad luck, or, you know, half a step to the left and things haven't gone so well for them.
"But the integrity of it. Of seeing someone who is without something and not just giving them something, giving them a loan and a mentor to help them to work towards.
"The fact that these guys get a loan to start a business and if they work and pay it back, they can get another and start using the trust, a bit like a bank, until they're in a strong enough position to work with their own. Who else does that?”
Stephen Fry
On Sunday 27 September writer, actor, comedian, broadcaster and all-round national treasure, Stephen Fry joined Mark Forrest for a very special show - ‘Stephen Fry’s Showstoppers, where he discussed two things he holds close to his heart, classical music and the important work of The Prince’s Trust.
During the programme, Fry, an Ambassador for the Trust spoke of the work of the forty-four-year-old charity which works with disadvantaged young people to turn their lives around.
“It's not there just simply to give out money as a charity. It's planting seeds. It's recognising the passion of young people, and trying to fill the gap between that passion and the lack of opportunity that has been the case since His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales set it up.”
Find out more about Stephen Fry’s Showstoppers here.
Help make a life-changing difference by supporting The Prince’s Trust. Text HOPE, followed by the amount you would like to give, to 70545. So HOPE5 for £5, HOPE10 for £10, HOPE20 for £20 and HOPE30 for £30.
Terms & Conditions: Your text will be charged the value of your donation plus one message at your standard network rate. Please ask the bill payer’s permission before texting. For full terms and conditions visit The Prince’s Trust website at princes-trust.org.uk (https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/support-our-work/young-people-relief-fund)