Alberto Costa MP joined TV presenter and Prince’s Trust Ambassador Carol Vorderman MBE at the House of Commons to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Prince’s Trust.
The youth charity has supported more than 825,000 young people into work, education or training since 1976, including 717 in Leicestershire in the last year.
More than 100 guests attended the parliamentary reception, with Lord Blunkett and Matthew Hancock MP leading a discussion about the challenges faced by young people in the last 40 years and the most pressing issues for 2016.
During the event, Carol Vorderman, who has been a supporter of The Trust for 20 years, spoke about her experience as a Prince’s Trust Ambassador and how important it is to give young people the confidence they need to fulfil their potential.
To mark the celebrations, a young entrepreneur who received support from The Prince’s Trust to set up a cake-making business created a special 40th birthday cake.
Alberto Costa MP said “The Prince’s Trust do incredible work to support those who have faced early challenges in their lives. There has been a very welcome fall in youth unemployment, though the government is rightly committed to reducing this further with initiatives such as 2 million more apprenticeships. We thank The Prince’s Trust for their 40 years of service and dedication in changing the lives of so many people across the country."
Carol Vorderman said: “As an Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, I have met so many inspiring young people who have overcome extremely difficult circumstances to find their dream job or set up in business. It’s truly incredible to think that the charity has made a difference to more than 825,000 young lives – not to mention their families and communities too.”