Big Issue hawker & Prince Charles meet re job scheme FWD
Tom Boland (wgcp@earthlink.net)
Sun, 25 Jan 1998 15:21:22 -0800 (PST)
FWD from BBC News January 25, 1998 UK
PRINCE TARGETS OVER-50s FOR YOUTH JOB SCHEME
The Prince's Youth Trust has experienced much success in helping young
unemployed people kick-start their lives and find work.
Now, Prince Charles is considering whether the principle could be applied
to the
over-50s with equal success.
The well-publicised reunion between the prince and his old school friend Clive
Harold, 49, at a homeless centre in London gave him the idea.
Formerly a journalist and author, Mr Harold was selling The Big Issue magazine
for the homeless when Charles bumped into him again.
"The prince said afterwards how homelessness can happen to people from all
walks of life, and in conversations with MPs afterwards that was a topic of
conversation," said spokeswoman for Charles.
The current cut-off age for applicants seeking assistance from the Trust is
29.
The spokeswoman added: "It's very tentative at this stage. But it's been no
secret that the Prince of Wales has for some considerable time been
thinking about this issue.
"He is very much alive to the fact that for the over-50s, once they have
lost a job, it is very, very difficult for them to get back into
employment.
"He has had a number of conversations with many different people and has asked
his advisers to get together a group of people to talk through whether and
how the lessons and principles of what has been introduced with the
Prince's Youth
Business Trust might be applied to the over-50s."
Mr Harold who spent two years at the same school as the Prince, reacted
enthusiastically to the idea.
"It's terrific," he told The People newspaper. "My meeting with him obviously
had an effect.
"It is marvellous that he wants to help older people who are down on their
luck.
"There are lots of people in the same boat as me. I know two former guardsmen,
a one-time solicitor and an ex-doctor who are now selling The Big Issue."
The type of assistance that might be extended to the over-50s under the new
scheme would include start-up loans for businesses and long-term advice.
The Prince's spokeswoman said more than 70% of the businesses established with
the Trust's help are still trading after three years.
"We have a very good track record because of the way the Prince set them up,"
she said.
END FORWARD