The Prince's Trust business start-up programme helps young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who are unemployed, under-employed and of limited means to start their own business. It provides start-up capital, along with marketing and business support, for those who cannot obtain traditional bank finance.

The programme, started in 1983, helps young people who would not otherwise have the opportunity to develop their self-confidence, achieve economic independence, fulfil their ambitions and contribute to the community through the medium of self-employment.

The Trust has become the largest business start-up agency in the voluntary sector: over 40,000 young people have been given a bursary or loan to set up their business, from textile designers and beauty salons to Indian takeaway operators and funeral services. More than 30,000 businesses have survived, giving work to nearly 60,000 people. In half of the businesses which fail, the people behind them move on to other employment.

All those helped have already been refused funding from traditional sources like banks, who see the business ideas as carrying too high a risk. Many are from ethnic minority communities, have disabilities or are ex-offenders.

The average cost of setting up a young person in business - with a grant, loan or both - is only £2,500, yet over 60% of the businesses are still trading after three years. The top ten businesses have a total turnover of about £40 million; the top 100 have a total turnover exceeding £100 million, and employ about 1,250.

On 1st August, 1999, The Trust saw its first supported business float on the stock exchange. Dylan Wilk of Bradford, West Yorkshire - unemployed after having previously worked for a mail order company selling fish food and pond pumps - first sought help from The Prince's Trust in 1994. He had been refused backing from the high street banks to start up a computer games mail order business. Mr Wilk, aged 20, was provided with £2,500 start-up capital from The Trust, and in four years his company, Gameplay.com, became the country's biggest mail order supplier of computer games with a retail outlet in Leeds, a turnover of over £15 million and a staff of 34.

The secret of the high success rate lies in The Trust's aftercare programme. Each young entrepreneur gets a personal business mentor, from a network of over 6,500 experienced volunteers linked to The Trust, for the first three years of trading.

The Trust also provides a dedicated aftercare programme including seminars, a free legal helpline and marketing advice which enable Trust business people to make valuable contacts as well as sales.

Shell LiveWIRE

Shell LiveWIRE aims to encourage young people to consider the option of starting a business. This is done by providing quality information and advice to guide people through the initial stages of starting up, linking to a source of local business advice and hosting a national competition for new business start-ups.

LiveWIRE is one of Shell UK's community investment programmes. The company invests in such activities because it believes it improves the potential of its employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and the community in which it works.

Further details are available from the Shell LiveWIRE web-site: - http://www.shell-livewire.org/