The university has announced a collaboration with The Prince’s Trust to provide a Nottingham base for the organisation to help improve the lives of local young people.

In the heart of Nottingham city centre, Castle Meadow Campus is under redevelopment to transform the former HMRC base into a thriving community of students and co-located businesses and partners. Right now, it provides a home for the University of Nottingham’s City as Lab and Infinity initiatives alongside the Programme Management Office.

Alex Khanyaghma, Head of Service Delivery at The Prince’s Trust, East Midlands said: “The partnership between The Prince’s Trust and the University of Nottingham at Castle Meadow Campus is proving a fantastic opportunity to help even more young people across Nottinghamshire.

“Providing a stable base for the charity allows us to grow and broaden our offers for young people while providing a safe space for them to learn key skills and grow in confidence.

Aligning our vision with Castle Meadow Campus’ powerful desire to create a stable foundation in Nottingham will be invaluable in helping future generations of young people grow their skills and start something amazing in the East Midlands.”

Starting in May, a group of 16–25-year-olds will embark on an in-person personal development course on campus. This is just one of The Trust’s offerings for young people to gain practical skills and experience, earn a qualification, and grow in confidence.

This includes community group projects, work experience, English and maths skills and creating a standout C.V. to complement newly enhanced interview skills.

Dewi Prichard-Jones, Senior Head of Service Delivery for The Trust in Central England, highlighted the collaborative efforts stating: “This collaboration with the University of Nottingham will allow us to build on the proud history we have in Nottingham and provide a very bright future for young people through our range of programmes offering early intervention work, educational attainment, and employment opportunities.”

He also went on to say “We look forward to working with corporate, education and community partners to help create the next generation of young entrepreneurs as well as securing long-term roles for young people in retail, hospitality, digital and tech sectors and the green economy.

This can all be delivered from our fantastic new space on Castle Meadow Campus.”

The collaboration between The Prince’s Trust and the university is a strategic alignment of values and vision, aimed at making a tangible difference in the lives of young people in Nottingham.

Castle Meadow Campus is an ideal location for this partnership, offering a dynamic space for innovation and growth.

On 14 March 2024, The Prince’s Trust celebrated the partnership with the launch event of its new base. This brought together many supporters to celebrate this transformative organisation.

The evening had strong themes of partnership, underscoring the commitment to supporting young people and bolstering the local community within Nottingham City.

Keynote speakers included local beneficiaries of The Trust and key partners, mentors, and business leaders. Jason Phoenix, Castle Meadow Campus Programme Director, and Professor Sarah Speight, Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and Student Experience at the university, spoke about their hopes for the University’s developing relationship with the Trust.

Sarah acknowledged that the city of Nottingham has educational challenges and said: “Nottingham has areas of serious deprivation, and this contributes to educational disengagement and lower attainment. There are many wonderful organisations involved in supporting schools and colleges to tackle these challenges.  The Prince’s Trust helps by focusing on some of the hardest-to-reach young people.”

“I believe that it can fit itself into the education and training ‘ecosystem’ in the city, adding complementary expertise, but also distinctive expertise – it can help us create a coherent pathway to support people into and through education and on into meaningful employment. We already know we share values and vision. So, the next steps are to put some of our ideas into practice and start to make that difference.”

This marks a new chapter in The Prince’s Trust’s longstanding commitment to empowering young people and strengthening communities. Together, with UoN, they are poised to contribute to a brighter, more inclusive future for Nottingham’s youth.

For more information please visit The Prince’s Trust webpages.