Founded in 1976 by the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, The King’s Trust began life as a small set of pilot projects funded by £7,600 of his Royal Navy severance pay, created to help young people who felt written off by the job market of the time. The Kings Trust proudly celebrated its 50 years anniversary this year.

For almost fifty years it was known as The Prince’s Trust, taking on its present name in 2024.

Its mission has stayed constant throughout: to help young people build the confidence, skills and opportunities they need to succeed, whatever their background or circumstances.

The Trust works with people aged 11 to 30, providing mentoring, training and education programmes, and support to start a business, alongside the kind of confidence-building that often matters as much as any qualification.

But its work goes beyond individual support.

The King’s Trust works closely with government, employers and schools to open up new routes into education and work, and has now helped more than one million young people build a future for themselves.

Its vision is ultimately about something much bigger than any single programme: a society in which every young person, wherever they start from, is given a genuine chance to succeed.

This matters more than ever as the barriers facing young people continue to shift, from a fast-changing jobs market to widening gaps in opportunity. Creating a fairer starting line means moving beyond good intentions and asking a more important question:

What does it take to give every young person, wherever they start, a genuine chance to succeed?

At 30 for 30, we are proud to celebrate an organisation that has spent almost five decades answering exactly that question.

Today, we celebrate The King’s Trust, and everyone working to help young people build the confidence, skills and chances they need to shape their own future.

Find out more about The King’s Trust at www.kingstrust.org.uk