Community Christmas tree in Rugby marks start of new era for The King’s Trust in Warwickshire

A community Christmas tree has been unveiled in Rugby and marked the start of a new era for a vital education programme for young people.

College group WCG (Warwickshire College Group) has been delivering The King’s Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust) Team programme across the Midlands for more than 15 years – and from 2025 will begin its first programmes under the name of The King’s Trust.

The Prince’s Trust, the young people’s charity founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 1976, changed its name to The King’s Trust in October 2024.

WCG is the largest provider of programmes for The King’s Trust in England and last year celebrated completing its 200th project in Warwickshire. The college group will also mark 10 years of delivering the Team programme in Leicestershire in 2025.

The final project delivered by WCG under The Prince’s Trust branding was in Rugby, Warwickshire, and culminated in the decoration of a large Christmas tree at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.

The event was the culmination of a 12-week programme in which 12 young people had a chance to gain new skills, earn a qualification and meet like-minded people.

The team hosted a series of free after school workshops with primary school children invited to create a decoration for the new community tree. The participants fundraised in the community to be able to provide the arts and crafts resources free of charge.

The Christmas tree is now in the window of the gallery for visitors to see and features King’s Trust branded decorations too, and the children who took part in the workshops will be able to take their decorations home from January.

Nichola Manzella, The King’s Trust Team leader for WCG, said: “This is exactly what the Team programme is all about, helping to develop the young people with and equip them with new skills, while having a positive impact on the local community too.

“The team had brilliant feedback from the parents. It was an invaluable exercise to develop communication skills and give experience of event planning too.

“It was funded entirely by charity fundraising by the Team, which was important as they wanted to make sure it was free of charge for parents at a time of year when finances can be tight for families.”

Team is a free programme for 16 to 25-year-olds which aims to build the confidence of its participants and help them to develop new practical skills. 

Chris Gately, Head of Department for Re-engagement and Schools at WCG, added: “It will take a while to get used to but in time The King’s Trust will become every bit as well-known as The Prince’s Trust has become over the last five decades.

“We are proud to be a delivery partner for The Trust in several sites across the Midlands, including Warwickshire, Leicestershire and in Birmingham.

“The Team programme offers incredible opportunities for its participants and, for many, provides strong foundations for new careers.

“This marks a new era for The Trust and we look forward to continuing to work closely in partnership with them to give life changing opportunities for young people.”

To find out more about the The King’s Trust Team programme and WCG visit https://wcg.ac.uk/page/25/princes-trust