00:00Ladies and gentlemen, amidst this deeply worrying public health crisis, which confronts us all,
00:07I did just want to send my heartfelt wishes to young people, as well as their families and their communities,
00:13at this very difficult time.
00:16I know only too well that youth unemployment can cause a terrible downward spiral,
00:21impacting mental health and leading to challenges such as low self-esteem, poverty, homelessness or worse.
00:31My Prince's Trust has a successful track record of working with young people, with employers and other supporters, to help
00:39break this negative cycle.
00:42This important work is all being made possible by kind supporters, including those who are so generously donating to my
00:51Trust's Young People Relief Fund, and I am deeply grateful to them.
00:56When I founded my Trust 44 years ago, the problems facing young people through unemployment and a lack of support
01:04were serious.
01:05Now, I fear, those problems have gone from serious to potentially devastating.
01:11While there is much uncertainty about how the COVID-19 pandemic will progress, it is clear that the impact will
01:19be enormous and the recovery extremely challenging.
01:23Desperately high numbers of lives and livelihoods are being lost as this double disaster sweeps the globe.
01:31Although we all hope the pandemic will pass quickly, there are inevitable fears that the repercussions will be felt deeply
01:40by all of us for years to come.
01:42This challenge confronts us all, and it is therefore vital that we share our experiences and coordinate our responses so
01:52that we can come back stronger.
01:54In times of economic hardship, it is often young people who are hardest hit, and we know that many under
02:03-25s work in sectors such as hospitality and tourism, which have borne the brunt of this crisis.
02:11We also know that difficulties faced by a disrupted education, a loss of entry-level jobs, and rising unemployment.
02:22It is a real challenge to thrive in the midst of chaos and economic disorder, but this is why my
02:29trust was set up – to help people to a better future.
02:35I am enormously proud of the young people my trust has already helped, and by coordinating our efforts and working
02:42together, my group of trust charities across the Commonwealth can help even more people, ensuring they gain the practical skills
02:51and confidence needed to help them into work, education, training and self-employment.
02:58We rely on, and greatly appreciate your wonderfully generous support, and owe an enormous set of gratitude to those who
03:08have made all the work so far possible.
03:11You have quite literally saved lives, and I value your generosity more than I can possibly say.
03:21Young people now need your support more than ever.
03:25Their future is on the line, but together we can prevent this crisis from defining the prospects of a generation.
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