The Prince's Charities Community: Stories

PRIME Cymru celebrates 500th volunteer

A project that is boosting the voluntary sector in Wales has celebrated recruiting its 500th volunteer. Since the charity Prime Cymru set up its ‘Experience Counts’ scheme last April the project has spread the word about volunteering to over 2,000 people and helped more than 500 of them find placements in the voluntary sector.

Prime Cymru supports Welsh people aged 50 and over through projects to help them set up businesses or find other employment. The ‘Experience Counts’ scheme uses volunteering as a stepping stone to work by increasing skills.

The celebration at Porthcawl's Seabank Hotel marked the work of Prime Cymru's 500th volunteering recruit, Vikki Efford from Pontycymer near Bridgend. Mrs Efford has been volunteering for 43 years and works full-time and unsalaried for various charitable projects including Prime Cymru's Volunteer Mentoring Scheme which has supported 5,000 people, helped launch over 1,200 business and aided the creation of over 1,800 jobs.

Welsh Assembly Government Deputy Minister for Social Services Gwenda Thomas presented Vikki with a commemorative trophy and flowers. Ms Thomas, Assembly Member for Neath, told the audience that Wales has a higher proportion of older people when compared to the UK and that addressing the implications of an ageing Wales was not a quick fix.

She added, "It is vital to help older people back into economic activity. To use volunteering as a stepping stone is a rewarding route not only for the volunteer but also for the community."

58-year-old Vikki's work was also praised in the message from Prime Cymru's founder and patron The Princes of Wales who offered her his "warmest congratulations."

Mrs Efford said, "I've helped people but I enjoy helping them, it makes me feel useful. I wanted to put something back into my community and I hope I have."

The Prince's Charities Film

This film, narrated by Sanjeev Bhaskar, gives a flavour of the work of The Prince’s Charities, showing how they operate by bringing their different areas of expertise together to achieve a common goal.

School children experience theatre for the first time; global companies call on world leaders to tackle climate change; potters in Afghanistan preserve their traditional skills – just three of hundreds of initiatives where The Prince of Wales is helping to address unmet needs.

Why not join us as a member of The Prince’s Charities Community and you can enjoy the full-length 35 minute film, as well as receiving other regular benefits.

If you are already a member, please sign-in to watch to the whole film.

The Prince’s Regeneration Trust onboard to help plan the future for heritage Scottish Pavilion

The Prince’s Regeneration Trust has been commissioned by Argyll and Bute Council to help identify and develop a package of sustainable uses for the Rothesay Pavilion, a building owned by the Council and one that is much loved by locals and visitors alike. The Trust seeks to preserve buildings, monuments, structures or sites in the United Kingdom of particular beauty, or historical and architectural interest.

The A listed building is one of the most important landmarks on the Isle of Bute, and is a particularly significant building for Scotland. As an immediately recognisable structure, the Pavilion stands as a symbol of Rothesay and is a source of community pride. It continues to be used by over 40 community groups, for the annual jazz festival and for weddings but the condition of the building is deteriorating and is in need of significant repair.

One of The Prince’s Regeneration Trust’s first tasks will be to work with the Council, who recognise the importance of the building and the need to secure its refurbishment, to organise a Planning Day. This will provide an opportunity for the key stakeholders to brainstorm the building’s future, and for a variety of uses to be explored and tested with expert input to find a way forward for the building as a viable and self-sustaining facility.

Councillor Len Scoullar, who is chair of the Project Board which is taking this forward with The Princes Regeneration Trust and the consultants, is enthusiastic about this magnificent building’s future and seeks to ensure that it is restored to its former glory.

He said: “Without doubt the Rothesay Pavilion is Argyll and Bute Council’s most important heritage asset. It was given to us by a previous generation and we must make sure that future generations can continue to enjoy it.”

Maria Perks, Projects Adviser for The Prince’s Regeneration Trust in Glasgow said, “The Trust is delighted to be adding the Pavilion to its Scottish portfolio. It is a building that has held a uniquely special place in the hearts and minds of many people on Bute and far beyond. We look forward to working with the Council to ensure it once more becomes the jewel in Rothesay’s crown”.

Business in the Community takes on The Grove Adventure Playground

Business in the Community employee volunteers had the unique opportunity to participate in the activities of the Grove Adventure Playground and to witness the effect on the children who depend on it. On 28th July, a group of fourteen volunteers from Business in the Community hosted an activity day at Grove Adventure Playground, as a Team Challenge arranged through the London Cares programme. The children were inspired by the new roles models from the world of work, who spent the visit focused entirely on their needs and providing an enjoyable day.

Grove Adventure Playground is a community arts and education organisation providing an open access after school programme to local eight to twelve year olds. The core staff and volunteers work together to maintain a safe and comfortable environment, in which the children living in Lambeth and Southwark can freely access play and recreational activities. They are committed to providing children with a broad range of enjoyable and educational experiences, as well as diverse role models, to support them in achieving their potential. The organisation also encourages the children and their families to understand the importance of their role within the wider community.

Volunteers from a variety of departments spent the day working together to keep the group of thirty children engaged and entertained. Activities on the day included a football match, creating carnival masks, colouring murals, painting outdoor play structures and computer assistance, amongst others, which the children were given free-range to participate in throughout the day. They were also treated to personalised homemade pizzas for their lunch. A Business in the Community intern, who grew up in the neighbourhood, gave an inspirational speech to the entire group describing his unique history and what his community meant to him. His participation was a great opportunity for the children to see a role model they could not only admire, but relate to.

The day spent interacting with the children and community centre employees provided the Business in the Community volunteers with an opportunity to develop and exchange a variety of skills, whilst creating bonds with colleagues that they do not often have a chance to work with. Although only 20% of employee volunteers had volunteered through their company before, 100% reported they were in favour of their company entering a partnership with a community partner, involving opportunities for longer term commitment and would be interested in volunteering through their company again in the future.

“Seeing the difference that we made for a day to the children and staff was fantastic. I was also quite nervous about communicating with the children as I don't have much experience with kids, especially those from other backgrounds. But because it was very informal and we were able to just get stuck in with colleagues, I was surprised at how easy it was and how quickly I was rewarded by eager smiling faces!” Employee volunteer, Business in the Community

Drawing Marathon for Young Artists

The Young Artists Programme, part of The Prince’s Drawing School, recently hosted an exhausting, week-long ‘Drawing Marathon’ for 10-14 year olds. 45 students submitted themselves to five continuous days of drawing. Each day students were presented with different tutors, themes and techniques – making for a challenging week all round.

The tutors were drawn from The School’s Young Artists Programme – an initiative offering serious, sustained drawing tuition to young people from all backgrounds who are passionate about drawing. The entire programme is provided for free.

The Drawing Marathon was a collaboration with The Mall Galleries, who donated a gallery as a base for the week. The National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and the sights and sounds of central London were only a few paces away.

On Monday, tutors Martin Morris, an animator, and Katia Lom, a fine artist and dancer, explored movement in drawing by asking students to draw a life-model as he jumped and danced around the gallery.

Tuesday saw students working from paintings in The National Gallery, and drawing in Trafalgar square with artists Pippa Ridley and Jaemi Hardy.

On Wednesday students drew a tableau vivant inspired by paintings they’d seen in The National Gallery with Gbenga Ilumoka and Perienne Christian. Others worked with Sam Marshall and Leanne Elliott experimenting with scale, making tiny and huge drawings.

On Thursday, students explored portraiture with Andrew James from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and artist Daniel Shadbolt.

On Friday, with artists Grant Foster, Jenny Blake, Alessia Avellino and Rowan James, students did life drawing, portraiture, visited the National Gallery again and drew life models in St James’ Park.

The week was completed with an impromptu exhibition of drawings papering the walls of the Mall Galleries. Students’ families and friends came in to view the plethora of artwork, and congratulate the students on surviving the week!

Orchards Primary School engage in Children & the Arts programme

Orchards Primary School is situated in an estate in Wisbech, a one hour drive north of Cambridge. Most of the pupils are of white British descent and come from the estate around the school, an area of high social deprivation. Nearly one third of the pupils, many of whom are the children of recent immigrants from Eastern Europe, are at the early stages of learning English. The percentage of children eligible for free school meals is almost twice the national average and at 40%, so is the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities.

Orchards Primary school was under special measures in 2006/7 and has worked hard since then to improve its performance. It came out of special measures in May last year with its most recent Ofsted report commenting, “Following the previous inspection, staff responded positively and worked together well to bring about the necessary improvements… Standards are rising and the school has a good capacity to continue to improve.”

The Fitzwilliam Museum has been working with Orchards Primary School for nearly two years. Initially the school staff viewed the project with the Fitzwilliam as an unnecessary addition to their already heavy workloads and did not fully engage with it. This had a knock on effect on the pupils’ experience of the project. However as the impact and potential of the project become clearer, and as the overall morale of the staff has improved, so has the school’s enjoyment of and engagement with the Fitzwilliam.

“It is so important for the pupils to have first hand experiences. These are children who rarely leave the estate, let alone the town. Our work with the Fitzwilliam really broadens their horizons; it gives them a sense of the opportunities beyond their everyday surroundings and context.” Teacher

There is now a real commitment from the staff involved, together with an enthusiasm to use the ideas and inspiration picked up during the Fitzwilliam project right across the curriculum. This is demonstrated beautifully by a Year Six PHSE project which will use the book making skills learnt in one of the Fitzwilliam workshops. The pupils will make books with secret compartments and then use these as a catalyst for looking at the fears they have about their transition to secondary school and discussing how best to tackle them. It can be a very worrying and stressful time for many children and the project is an interesting and involving way of encouraging the pupils to talk about any worries they might have.

"The ideas we have gained are so valuable right across the curriculum." Teacher

As for the Fitzwilliam Museum, they too have benefited from the programme. Their education team has been provided with an insight into what the teachers deal with on a day to day basis, which in turn has been very useful for their own development. The needs of the school also meant that the education team worked hard with the teachers to ensure they design sessions at the Museum which reflect both the curriculum work and the interests of the children. As a result of these efforts, the project is now becoming embedded in the curriculum.

This team work, along with the long term benefits, are only possible because of the sustained relationship between the school and the museum. And the sustained relationship is only possible because of the funding from The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts. Orchards School is looking forward to continuing the relationship next year and already has ideas about areas that they would like to work on together.

“It’s so special! They are proud as punch” Teacher

Five Trailblazing Scottish SME’s Awarded National CommunityMark

Five Scottish SMEs – Contract Scotland Ltd., a recruitment consultancy based in Stirling; Design Links, a communications agency from Leith; Heart of Midlothian Football Club; Rangers Football Club and The Town House Company, the boutique hotel group, were amongst a pioneering group of 21 UK businesses to be awarded the CommunityMark at Business in the Community’s Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner at the Royal Albert Hall, London last night.

The CommunityMark is a new national standard that publicly recognises companies that are the best investors in their communities. Successful CommunityMark companies have passed a rigorous, independent assessment including scrutiny by their employees and community partners. In one year alone, the 21 CommunityMark companies invested almost £600 million in the community through employee time, funding and other contributions.

Shortly before the awards dinner, the CommunityMark was unveiled to Ministers and business leaders at 10 Downing Street. John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said: “The skills, strengths and sustainability of British business have never been so important to society. If the CommunityMark helps to bring about more effective partnerships between business and community groups, it holds out tremendous potential to deliver long-term sustainable solutions that will benefit us all.”

Samantha Barber, Chief Executive of Scottish Business in the Community, offered her congratulations: “It’s fantastic that five Scottish SMEs have achieved the CommunityMark. They are in the illustrious company of many FTSE-100 plc’s who have far greater resources at their disposal. It shows that if you are for and of your community you can punch above your weight on the UK stage. We look forward to working with our sister charity Business in the Community to support more businesses to achieve the CommunityMark standard.”

The trailblazing national mark was developed by Business in the Community with the support of companies, public and voluntary sector bodies, and was designed to be challenging and relevant to all concerned. The CommunityMark is endorsed by government and the voluntary sector, and supported in Scotland by Scottish Business in the Community, the business-led charity which shares its President with Business in the Community - HRH The Prince of Wales, Duke of Rothesay.

Let's Get Cooking

Obesity, malnutrition, ill-health… these are all issues that children, their parents and local communities are facing. In deprived areas, the lack of basic skills and knowledge does not always allow for wise choices about nutrition and health to be made.

Let’s Get Cooking is a five year, £20 million programme managed by The School Food Trust. With funding from The Big Lottery Fund, the programme will set up a network of 5,000 after school cooking clubs in England. The project will benefit over a million children and young people between the ages of five and sixteen.

Two of The Prince’s Charities, Business in the Community and The Prince’s Trust are working in partnership with The School Food Trust. Together they are working with children, families and communities to boost their intake of nutritionally healthy food, increase their cooking skills and then take these skills and habits and replicate them at home.

Business in the Community, one of The Prince’s Charities that works with businesses to make a positive impact in their communities, is engaging key companies to support and sustain the Let’s Get Cooking after school clubs. This will enable businesses to take action on the issues of health, nutrition, obesity, education and improving skills. Businesses will be working with the clubs in many ways. They will be supplying employee volunteers to help with the running of the clubs and attaining a healthy eating vision for the schools, as well as helping with in-kind support by way of ingredients, equipment and help with community events.

“It’s amazing how much stuff you can do with food and how healthy foods can actually be good for you as well as tasty. I honestly enjoyed something and learnt for once! I will most certainly be going again next week!” Year 10 pupil from Ormskirk School.

The Prince’s Trust is involved with Let’s Get Cooking through their xl Programme, a team-based programme of personal development for students in their last two years of compulsory education. It aims to roll out the Let’s Get Cooking opportunity in phases across the xl Network, working with around 610 xl clubs from September 2007 to June 2012.

So far twenty xl clubs in the South West, North West and Eastern regions have been involved in piloting the new materials to create inspirational and imaginative ways of engaging with cookery, nutritional awareness and understanding of healthy eating within the context of the xl curriculum. This has involved tutor led taught sessions to provide underpinning knowledge, advice and guidance around these subjects whilst ensuring the current curriculum objectives are met.

The feedback from the xl clubs has been very positive so far and the young people have loved having the opportunity to work with different foods and topics that they may not have encountered before. An example of this is a competition which The Prince’s Trust ran for the twenty clubs to thank them for participating in the pilot. Entrants had to create a recipe out of a list of certain ingredients ensuring that they were within budget. It received over eighteen entries which were then judged by Ainsley Harriot from Ready Steady Cook. The first three prize winners and their clubs were then given the opportunity to be a part of the programme’s audience.

The Prince’s Trust is now in the process of recruiting 120 clubs to be a part of the project from September 2008, using the materials which have been developed throughout the pilot. Working together with Business in the Community, it hopes to be able to offer these clubs various opportunities including free equipment, expertise from volunteers and links to businesses for future use.

“I like working on healthy eating as quite a lot of the time our adviser lets us eat what’s left over. I’ve tried loads of new fruit since the xl club and can’t wait to start cooking in the club.” xl participant.

Business in the Community's National Cares Day

National Cares Day was held by Business in the Community on 16 May, an intiative that mobilised over 4000 employee volunteers in 24 towns and cities all over the UK. The day presented the opportunity for employees to work together on projects that have a real impact on their local communities and, in doing so, helped hundreds of schools and community organisations in some of the most deprived areas of the UK. The volunteering initiative also enabled businesses to engage with their employees and support them in developing a wide range of skills.

As part of National Cares Day, London Better Together Day brought volunteers together in London. Over 2500 volunteers from more than 80 companies answered the call to improve their city by working in teams on large and small projects in schools and community organisations.
A group of top city lawyers from Eversheds teamed up with The Link Secondary School, a non maintained Special Needs school for 11 to 19 year olds. The volunteers worked with the pupils to complete a gardening project, enabling the school to grow their own plants and vegetables.

Joe Pearson, Headteacher of the school in Croydon Road, said "they constructed raised planter beds so the pupils can grow their own plants and food. I thought the idea of them coming and mucking in with our kids was wonderful."

The school uses speech and language therapy to teach children with expressive and repressive language problems. Some children also have communication problems such as autism, so this was a great opportunity for them to interact with adults.

Rae Gibbons-Fraser, who led the Eversheds team, said "my team and I really enjoyed working with the children and teachers at The Link Secondary school in Croydon. Enhancing their garden for use as part of the curriculum was a bonus but interacting with the children throughout the day and seeing their delight at the end result was our real reward.”

Children & The Arts help schoolchildren from Liverpool experience the arts

In the school year 2006/7 The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts funded the participation of 305 children from three schools in Liverpool in a year long programme of events at the Unity Theatre. The three schools (two primaries and one secondary) had not had any prior involvement with the Unity Theatre. For a number of reasons, the schools were not offering cultural access to their pupils before the start of this project and all were very, very keen to pursue a sustainable relationship with the Unity. Children & the Arts is continuing to support this programme in the current school year.

Croxteth Community Comprehensive School is a co-educational school for students aged 11 to 18. The school is in a recognised area of significant social deprivation where levels of literacy and numeracy are below average and unemployment levels are high.

As part of Children & the Arts’ Start programme, the school worked with the Unity Theatre on a project that gave students the opportunity to experience two professional performances, each supported by a series of practical workshops.

A teacher at Croxteth told us that, after the second performance visit, “The journey back to school was incredible, I have never witnessed such vibrant conversations. The bus was alive with chatter, debate, frenzied dialogue and fun. It epitomised the energy and excitement that you would want pupils to experience in the theatre. I never anticipated this buzz.”

Through the programme a teacher reported, “The improvement in students’ listening and communication skills was very pronounced.” She added that the two theatre visits that formed the heart of Croxteth’s Start experience “provided a real wow factor that enriched the students’ lives.”

Of the 83 pupils involved in Start, 76 said that they would revisit the theatre in their own time.

The project also helped the Unity Theatre develop the range and scope of their outreach programme of activities and increased their awareness of how disadvantaged communities are largely over looked in the planning of cultural projects and events.