The Prince’s Trust has today announced American singer, songwriter and global superstar Lionel Richie will help the youth charity to scale-up and expand its work around the world.
The announcement was made today at an event in Barbados engaging and celebrating young people supported by Prince’s Trust International and its delivery partners The Royal Barbados Police Force and Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment. The event was attended by Lionel Richie and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.
As Chair of the new Global Ambassador Group, Lionel Richie will support the charity as it sets to work on a new global remit, tackling issues such as youth education and unemployment, supporting indigenous youth and helping build sustainable communities. Prince’s Trust International and the network of Prince’s Trust charities in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand currently reaches young people in 10 countries, with plans to extend its support to several African countries this year.
Lionel Richie said: “I’m honoured to become Chair of the Global Ambassador Group for The Prince’s Trust. The Trust is known for its excellent work with young people in the UK, and has a wealth of knowledge that can be useful to other organisations in other countries. The Global Ambassador Group will champion the work of this remarkable charity in new countries and, as Chair, I’m committing to helping The Trust across the globe.”
Since 1976 The Prince’s Trust has supported more than 950,000 young people across the UK into education, employment or training. It is now using this expertise and experience internationally to help organisations overcome the global issue of youth unemployment and to transform lives.
Dame Martina Milburn DCVO CBE, Group Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust said: “We are thrilled to have a person of Lionel’s stature on board as our founding Global Ambassador. There is so much we can achieve together to help young people, and their communities, all over the world. ”
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For more information, contact:
Vicki Perrin on 020 7543 1318 or vicki.perrin@princes-trust.org.uk / press@princes-trust.org.uk
Notes to editors
About Lionel Richie
International superstar Lionel Richie has a discography of albums and singles that are second to none. His music is part of the fabric of pop music; in fact, Richie is one of only two songwriters in history to achieve the honour of having #1 records for nine consecutive years. Richie has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and is an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, and four-time Grammy Awards® winner. He received the distinction of MusicCares person of the year in 2016 and was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2017. In March 2018, Richie put his handprints and footprints in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood, one of the oldest awards in Hollywood. Lionel Richie is known for his early work with The Commodores as well as for his solo mega-hits including “Endless Love,” “Lady,” “Truly,” “All Night Long,” “Penny Lover,” “Stuck on You,” “Hello,” “Say You, Say Me,” “Dancing on the Ceiling,” and one of the most important pop songs in history, “We Are the World,” written with Michael Jackson for USA for Africa. With his most recent All the Hits, All Night Long Tour, Richie sold out arenas worldwide with a set list of his brightest and best anthems. In recent years, he has also headlined festivals including Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, and Glastonbury, drawing the festival’s biggest crowd ever with more than 200,000 attendees. Richie was a judge on ABC’s American Idol has returned to the ‘Judge’s’ chair for the 2019 season.
About Prince’s Trust International
Prince’s Trust International was founded by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 2015 to share the successful programs of youth charity, The Prince’s Trust, which over 43 years has helped more than 920,000 disadvantaged young people across the United Kingdom to turn their lives around and supports over 100 young people each day; three in four young people supported move into work, education or training.
Prince’s Trust International works in partnership with the private sector, governments, and civil society in countries around the world to support young people aged 11-30 into work, education or training. By working together with local partners Prince’s Trust International support young people in communities around the world to realize their potential. This is achieved by posting expert staff to assist with the delivery of initial pilot programs, tailoring to the local need, and providing ongoing support to enable sustainable future delivery. Further information about Prince’s Trust International is available at www.princestrustinternational.org
About The Prince’s Trust Group
The Prince’s Trust Group includes the work of The Prince’s Trust in the UK alongside a network of charities; Prince’s Trust International, The Prince’s Trust Canada, The Prince’s Trust Australia and The Prince’s Trust New Zealand. All of the charities within The Prince’s Trust Group were established by HRH The Prince of Wales. Together, they are providing meaningful support for young people, military veterans, indigenous groups and environmental projects in 10 countries around the world with plans for additional programs in several African countries.
