The Prince’s Trust is sending out a powerful message to everyone in the fire industry with its first television advertisement in nearly a decade. 

It forms part of a new multi-channel advertising campaign – Learn the Hard Way – which aims to encourage employers and others to look with fresh eyes at young people from troubled backgrounds and give them a chance to get their lives on track. 

The campaign follows hard on the heels of the Trust’s recent research which revealed that almost a million young people in the UK say their childhoods are traumatic, and further highlights the huge challenges that these young people face as they try to build their future. 

The advert reinforces the message that every young person has the skills to succeed, no matter their current situation, and asks everyone to help the Trust change young lives and enable young people to realise their potential and move into work, education, or training. 

The Fire Service has been working with The Prince’s Trust since 1992 with a huge number of services delivering programmes designed by the Trust to help unemployed young people gain the skills and confidence to find work. 

In addition, services can get involved with the Trust by offering work placements or station visits, referring young people, seconding staff to lead programmes or encouraging them to volunteer, and assisting with community projects. 

For more information on how you can get involved, click here to download a leaflet on the Fire Industry Scheme.

Promoting the collaboration between the two organisations when he was President of the Chief Fire Officers Association, Lee Howell said: “The Fire and Rescue Service has helped thousands of young people get their lives on track through The Prince’s Trust programmes. We are uniquely placed in the heart of our communities to reach those young people who have a tough start in life.” 

At the same time, the then Fire Minister, Bob Neill MP, said: “The Fire and Rescue Service, in partnership with The Prince’s Trust, does a great job of engaging with disadvantaged young people. Together they help young people get their lives on track by moving them into employment or education. This plays an important part in keeping communities safe, and I would encourage anyone in the fire industry to get involved and support this vital work.”

Original sources

The Prince’s Trust television advertisement 

The Fire Service and the Trust 

Commercial buildings, non-domestic and multi-occupancy premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

While the overwhelming majority of premises do this, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.