News
HRH visits a Prince's Trust project at Ipswich Town Football Club
2nd December 2008
The Prince of Wales visited Ipswich Town Football Club today to meet young people involved in a Prince’s Trust self-development programme.
The Prince’s Trust is a charity founded by The Prince of Wales in 1976 to help disadvantaged young people to rebuild their confidence and overcome barriers.
Although many football clubs help deliver elements of Prince’s Trust programmes and initiatives, Ipswich Town Football Club is the first club to run a complete 12 week self-development “Team” programme through the Community Trust.
The club began this unique partnership in February 2008 and have so far completed three 12-week Team programmes.
The Prince was visiting the club to help celebrate this fantastic contribution from Ipswich Town Football Club and the Ipswich Town Community Trust.
The Prince of Wales launched The Trust’s work with football at Old Trafford in September 1997 and since then more than 11,000 young people have benefited from the support of over 60 professional football clubs through a long-term partnership with the Premier League, Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Foundation.
The Prince also met young people who have benefited from another of The Prince’s Trusts programmes – “Get Into Construction” which in the East of England over the past two years has provided construction skills training to more than 400 young people.
Although a national programme, Get Into Construction has been particularly successful in the East of England and the Learning and Skills Council European Social Fund has recently provided funding for a further 33 Get Into Construction programmes in the East of England over the next two years.
At the club, The Prince was met by Ipswich Town Chairman David Sheepshanks and met young people taking part in the programme.
Ipswich Town Chairman David Sheepshanks, who accompanied The Prince during Tuesday's visit, said he was "proud" of the club's links with The Prince’s Trust.
"It's the first time The Prince's Trust has set out to make a football club one of its delivery partners, where the courses are run by the club in partnership with the trust," he said.
"We are proud to be the first. I'm sure other clubs will follow."
As part of his visit, Club Captain Richard Naylor presented an Ipswich Town home shirt to The Prince, with "HRH 1" printed on the back.
At the end of his visit, The Prince made a speech in which praised the "marvellous" people working as part of the Prince’s Trust and wished Ipswich Town "luck" in their televised clash with East Anglian rivals Norwich City on Sunday.
"I shall be watching from across the border in Norfolk," he added, referring to his upcoming stay at Sandringham House.