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James Sommerville: Give young people a chance to design their own future
IN 1986, I was on the dole in Huddersfield. Twenty-three years on, I am co-founder and group creative director of global design company, ATTIK, with offices in London, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
My break came when I contacted The Prince's Trust with my friend Simon Needham with the idea of setting up our own graphic design business.
After leaving art school, we had both worked as pavement artists – but knew there were better things out there for us. Our dream was to run our own business but we didn't know how to get started.
The Prince's Trust gave us a grant of 1,000 each and the support we needed to get the idea off the ground.
We started off in my grandmother's attic bedroom – the inspiration behind the company's name. At the time, we would never have believed we would become a global leader in brand design and communication working with clients such as Nike, Coca Cola and Toyota.
Crucially, The Prince's Trust gave us the benefit of the doubt when others wouldn't. And we went on to prove our worth – not least, lasting through two earlier recessions.
My first recollection was in the early 1990s when many businesses were being crippled in the downturn following Black Wednesday. We did well because clients then wanted value for money and were willing to give new, younger businesses a chance to prove themselves.
The trickiest time for us was when the dotcom bubble burst. The US-economy nose-dived and we really had to prove ourselves as entrepreneurs in 2002.
It was a real challenge, but business isn't just about the good times – it has its downsides too. When things get rocky, you build your strength.
In the credit crunch, many young people have been faced with a similar challenge. Some young entrepreneurs have gone under while others will have postponed starting up altogether.
For others, however, the recession has proved an opportunity. Take Yorkshire-born Matthew Hodgson, for example. Matthew, 29, had always wanted to set up his own business in electrical services, but only started taking practical steps to do so when he was made redundant.
Despite the economic climate, his business – M Hodgson Electrical Services – is off the ground and Matthew is reaping the benefits of self-employment.
Whether young people are seeing the recession as an obstacle or an opportunity, the important thing is that we do not allow it to stunt creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. Today's young people are the entrepreneurs of tomorrow – and we must inspire, encourage and support them as much as possible, even in the present economic climate.
The Prince's Trust Business Programme, which helped me to launch ATTIK more than 20 years ago, still helps 18- to 30-year-olds today, through low-interest loans, grants and mentoring. I believe the scheme is more vital now than ever. And, as the UK's leading youth charity helping unemployed youngsters into jobs, The Prince's Trust deserves any support we can spare during these undeniably challenging times. Those who struggled at school, have had a long spell of unemployment or perhaps even have a criminal record, are those hardest hit by rising unemployment at the moment.
But none of these things mean that you can't set up a successful business. If you have the ideas, the passion and the drive, self-employment is a great alternative to the dole queue. Trust me, I've been there and I know.
Last year, The Prince's Trust helped 246 disadvantaged young people from Yorkshire and the Humber into business. It aims to support a similar number this year.
The region has nearly 300 volunteer business mentors – experienced business men and women who give their time for free to mentor young start-ups.
It is because of the guidance and support from Prince's Trust staff and volunteers that 82 per cent of Prince's Trust businesses in Yorkshire are still trading after the first year – an impressive number when you consider that many of those behind them have disadvantaged backgrounds.
With support from Yorkshire Post readers, The Prince's Trust can achieve its goal of working with more than 3,000 unemployed 14- to 30-year-olds next year alone – with eight in 10 expected to move into jobs, training or education.
All of us must share the responsibility to give these young people the skills and confidence to reach their potential.
By backing the Yorkshire Post Christmas Auction, sponsored by Grant Thornton in aid of The Prince's Trust, readers can make a tangible difference to the lives of young people in need of a second chance. These will be the entrepreneur success stories of the future.
Funds raised through the auction will give young people from Yorkshire the skills, motivation and confidence to secure jobs, businesses and futures. To stand the best chance of weathering this economic storm, we must take action now to ensure that a generation of our region's young people don't come out the other side unemployed and – more worryingly – unemployable.
Everybody wants to see Britain recover to full strength and supporting young people today will put Yorkshire and the rest of the country in a stronger position tomorrow.
James Sommerville is group creative director of ATTIK, a global design company which he co-founded in 1986 with a grant from The Prince's Trust.
SUPPORT THE PRINCE'S TRUST
Readers can show their support for the Prince's Trust by taking part in the Yorkshire Post Christmas Charity Auction.
Every penny raised goes to the Prince's Trust to help support its work in Yorkshire and don't miss your chance to bid for this week's exciting lots. Bids close at 5pm today, and tomorrow another 20 lots will be announced in the newspaper.
Prizes this week in the online auction, sponsored by accountants Grant Thornton, include a private tour of Castle Howard followed by lunch with Simon Howard and his wife, or you could become a brewer for the day at the Black Sheep brewery, take your family to Jack and the Beanstalk at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford or get a professional chef to cook at your home for your own dinner party.
Place your bid at www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/ christmasauction.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
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