TV presenters Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly will join young people who have been supported by the Prince’s Trust at the coronation this weekend.
The pair will attend the event at Westminster Abbey in their capacity as goodwill ambassadors, a role they took up in 2021 after some two decades working with the charity.
Best known for fronting shows including Saturday Night Takeaway, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Britain’s Got Talent, Ant and Dec have hosted The Prince’s Trust Awards 10 times and recently collaborated with the charity on a course to make the media industry more accessible.
Also among the attendees will be British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, who as a global ambassador for the trust has helped guide its work in Africa and across the world.
There will also be an appearance from American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie, who was named chairman of the trust’s global ambassador group in 2019 with the aim of helping to develop its global remit on issues including youth education and unemployment.
McPartlin said: “Our Making It In Media course with The Prince’s Trust is a real passion project for us.
“There are so many roles in TV and media that young people may have never considered as a career. We want to help young people find out more about the industry.”
Donnelly said: “We’re incredibly proud to have partnered with the Prince’s Trust on this project over the last two years – and we hope we can help change many more young lives together in the years ahead.”
Also in attendance will be Kelly Jones, lead singer of Welsh band Stereophonics, who were supported by the trust before they signed a record deal, receiving a grant to help them buy new equipment so they could perform live.
Other high-profile alumni of the charity invited to the event include magician Dynamo, real name Steven Frayne, who received support, advice and a business start-up loan.
“The Prince’s Trust gave me the support no-one else would and it changed my life – that’s real magic,” he said.
British-Ghanaian hairstylist Charlotte Mensah is attending after receiving a grant in 1999, which allowed her to set up her own salon, The Hair Lounge, in London’s Portobello Road.
Among the young people attending with the Prince’s Trust are Hassan Alkhawam, 24, who sought sanctuary in Northern Ireland with his family in 2017 after escaping the conflict in Syria.
He was supported by the trust as he applied to study software engineering at university and now runs his own local social enterprise.
South-east London-based Funmilola Sosanya, 31, experienced bereavement and unemployment before the trust helped her secure employment as a healthcare assistant.
In addition to the guests who will be in the Abbey, more than 30 people supported by the trust will attend a screening in St Margaret’s Church, Westminster.
The Prince’s Trust, founded in 1976, has supported more than one million young people in the UK since it was founded and now helps them in more than 20 countries around the world.
