The Prince’s Trust has launched Make a Change Week (25 – 29 Oct.) as part of a week- long celebration to mark the 20th anniversary of its flagship Team programme.
To celebrate young people participating on the programme at Adam Smith College joined Teams across the country to give something back to the community.
The Team worked with the Leven Angling Club on a conservation project along the banks of the River Leven. The Team was also heavily involved in clearing and tidying the area as well as planting new shrubs to maintain the areas eco-system.
Following on from this, next week the Team will be working on creating an eco-garden at Collydean Primary School. Activities will include planting flowers and shrubs as well as creating a mural on the garden wall for the children to enjoy.
The Prince’s Trust Team programme is a 12 week, full time personal development programme for 16-25 year olds who are not in employment, further education or training.
Within the 12 week framework, participants complete a community based project, work experience, intensive team building and personal development initiatives and a Team challenge, which allows them to achieve recognised accreditation in an informal environment.
Geraldine Gammell, Director of The Prince’s Trust Scotland, said:
“Team is a very important Prince’s Trust programme. It helps young people understand the importance of team-work and builds their self-confidence and skills to move onto positive destinations.
“We are delighted to be celebrating its 20th anniversary Make a Change Week by giving back to the communities that support the work we do with young people.”
Since it was established in 1990, 13,000 young people have benefited from the programme in Scotland and over 2000 community projects have been completed across the country.
Dr Craig Thomson, Principal, Adam Smith College, said:
“Adam Smith College has worked hard over the years with The Prince’s Trust to ensure we can provide this valuable programme for the local community. Delivering the Prince’s Trust from our campus in Leven is one of our key commitments to enhancing opportunities for individuals in the Levenmouth area. It is great to see students being inspired and working together thanks to the Prince’s Trust programme and Adam Smith College Staff.”
In the past, Teams from Adam Smith College have also worked on projects with The Gingerbread, a local initiative which provides support for single parents, offering drop in facilities, classes and staff to who carry out home visits. The centre’s gardens had been neglected and had become severely overgrown with wild thorny bushes and weeds. The Team worked hard to clear the area and then spent three weeks preparing the ground, planting new shrubs and bushes, laying bark and new stepping stones and also built benches for the new picnic table they had installed.
The revamp of the garden was hugely beneficial to Fife Gingerbread and those who use its services. Easy to maintain and offering additional leisure facilities, the Team’s contribution to the centre has been much appreciated by the community.
Since 1990, more than 130,000 young people have taken part in Team throughout the UK, contributing more than 15 million hours of volunteering work in their local communities. This is estimated to be worth almost £70 million to society*.
Make a Change Week is running from 25th-29th October. For further details on projects running throughout the country, please log on to www.princes-trust.org.uk