The Prince of Wales has joined forces with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to support a project tackling youth violence with £100,000 of funding.
William arrived in Manchester’s Moss Side to hear about the work of the Manchester Peace Together Alliance which will receive £50,000 from his Royal Foundation, a figure matched by Mr Burnham, who took part in the visit.
The funds will be used to create an employment, skills and training programme for young people at risk of violence, a first for the Alliance, a community-led initiative combating the underlying causes of youth violence with targeted mentoring and activities.
Mr Burnham said: “I’m delighted to be working with the Prince of Wales in this effort to support our young people into a brighter future.
“We know that working with partners and communities to provide opportunities for young people to engage in positive activity is the most effective way to ensure young people do not get involved with crime or violence.
“We’re committed to doing all we can to stop crime and violence, and the development of a dedicated employment, skills, and training programme for young people at risk of violence, and partnership between the Alliance, Manchester City Council, the business community and Royal Foundation will certainly support this.”
The three-year project has seen the alliance working for the first time with the private sector, which has committed to providing work shadowing, apprenticeships and employment for young people.
William began his day in Manchester by meeting volunteers from the Hideaway Youth Project, lead partner of the Manchester Peace Together Alliance, to hear more about the impact that the programme will have on young people.
Julie Wharton, director at the Hideaway Youth Project and a senior member of the Alliance, said: “All of us at the Manchester Peace Together Alliance are absolutely delighted by the initiative being launched today.
“At the Hideaway we place ourselves at the centre of the community in Moss Side so we can understand the needs of our young people and ensure we are doing all we can to prevent them from being impacted by the devastation that youth violence can bring.”
