Informa pledges support to The Prince's Trust
Informa PLC has pledged its support to The Prince’s Trust, the youth charity that helps young people change their lives. Informa UK employees will be able to get involved in a range of activities – from taking part in the charity’s Palace-to-Palace 45 mile cycle ride, Dress Red for the Prince’s Trust Day, mentoring young people or providing 2 week work placements. Supporting The Trust is part of Informa’s Be Involved corporate responsibility programme.
“The Prince’s Trust is extremely well-known and respected,” said Emma Blaney, Group HR and CR Director of Informa. Its contribution and great initiatives help young people daily. We quickly identified that its work, particularly through its new Internet and Media Leadership Group, would enable us to share our skills and knowledge with young people”.
In practice, it means Informa’s skilled journalists, web designers or marketing executives, for example, can share their knowledge. Employees could help young people to research and write news articles, design a web page or learn about email skills and creating brochures. Their mentoring can create useable, practical and long-lasting skills.
“The impact is that the skills of our staff can make an exponential difference to young people in need,” added Blaney. “On top of this, there is an extremely strong business case. If one of our web designers knows he or she will be teaching someone else, they are likely to ensure they are using the latest techniques and industry best practice. Learning, too, from other’s life experiences can also be a great motivator and development opportunity.”
The Prince’s Trust website shows compelling videos of disadvantaged young people who have changed their lives with the help of The Trust and their supporters. www.princes-trust.org.uk
The Trust gives practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. It works with 14 to 30-year-olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law.
It has helped more than 600,000 young people since 1976 and supports 100 more each working day. More than three in four young people helped last year moved into work, education or training.
Around one in five young people in the UK are not in work, education or training. Youth unemployment costs the UK economy £10 million a day in lost productivity, while youth crime costs £1 billion every year.
Georgina Morrisroe, Corporate Partnerships Manager of The Prince's Trust, said, “We are delighted to welcome another industry leader into the Internet & Media Leadership Group. The Group brings together broadcasting, publishing, internet and media firms who want to give young people a new start in life. For the first time, entrepreneurs and companies from these sectors have come together to make a difference to young people who need help. I am also working with Informa’s UK HR Directors to offer opportunities that suit their individual businesses and employees.”