The Kings Trust Team Programme

Nurturing and encouraging our young people and providing opportunities for them is so important to the future of Leicester and Leicestershire. I have recently had the opportunity to find out more about the work of organisations that are doing just that…

The Kings Trust Team Programme offers 16 to 25-year-olds the opportunity to gain new skills, earn a qualification, meet like-minded people and build confidence and resilience. I went along to meet 19 young people starting on the 12-week programme in Loughborough recently, pictured above. They are enthusiastically supported and encouraged by programme co-ordinator Mat Jesson and team leaders Mark Scott and Michelle Keatman.

Soft Touch Arts inspires young people by empowering them to express their creativity and helps them to build confidence through participation in the arts. I visited the organisation at its base on New Walk in Leicester on Wednesday 14 May and was lucky enough to sample a freshly baked carrot cake produced by the young people who gain experience in the café kitchen.