NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Scottish entrepreneur Mike Welch made his fortune as an online tire retailer. But he says he might’ve traded that lucrative career for one in funeral services if not for an intervention from the charity of .
A dyslexic teenager from a working-class background, Welch struggled with his college entry exams and took a job installing tires after leaving school at age 15. When he lost that gig, he lined up at the Liverpool job center. The job board featured a funeral director’s listing 鈥� a 鈥済reat career,” he’s sure, but 鈥減retty grim” 鈥� and an advertisement for a charity event where entrepreneurs could win business grants.
Welch took that one and, less than 24 hours later, found himself inside a church filled with vintage furniture and friendly grandparents. It looked nothing like ABC’s 鈥淪hark Tank,” but he recalls feeling very much like one of the reality show’s contestants as he described his proposal to sell cheaper tires to niche customers like his friends who drove souped-up cars.
That was Welch’s first interaction with the then-Prince’s Trust, which became known as The King’s Trust when King Charles III in 2023. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a well thought out plan, really,鈥� said Welch, who is now based in Florida. 鈥淏ut they backed me. And they backed my enthusiasm. And they gave me a chance.鈥�
Generations of Brits can tell stories similar to Welch, thanks to The Prince’s Trust and The King’s Trust, which have been supporting young people launch their careers since 1976, when then-Prince Charles took his Royal Navy severance pay and established the charity at a time of great economic distress for the United Kingdom. In the past 50 years, the King’s Trust says it has reached more than 1.3 million young Brits through its education and employment initiatives, creating numerous success stories including those of celebrated actor Idris Elba and noted fashion designer Ozwald Boateng.
As Charles and Queen Camilla continued their to the U.S. since he became king, they nodded to The King’s Trust with a gala Wednesday in New York, as the charity works to deepen its impact in more than two dozen countries including the United States. Attendees included Anna Wintour, Charlotte Tilbury, Donatella Versace, Lionel Richie and Martha Stewart.
At the event, Charles emphasized that 鈥減otential and latent talent truly knows no bounds once you help develop it.鈥�
鈥淚 won’t see the long-distance future,鈥� he told attendees. “But I’m enormously grateful to you all for what you can all do as supporters to help this vital endeavor, to champion the next generation, ensuring their talent and ambition continue to strengthen our societies for many years to come.鈥�
Members of the British Royal Family have traditionally served as patrons of charities, boosting awareness and fundraising for existing organizations in the areas where they rule as nobles. Observers say Charles’ lasting interest in young people’s employment is evident as he continues lending his title to its expanding work.
Giving young people an opportunity
The trust’s programs reach young people through schools and established nonprofit partners. They include Get Hired, which helps young people land their first jobs, and the Development Awards, a grant that helps them afford purchases to advance their careers such as a laptop or professional clothing.
The Enterprise Challenge is an afterschool program where students develop businesses that address a problem in their community.
鈥淲hat we see every time is that young people want to be helped. They want to be taken seriously,鈥� said Jeremy Green, a trustee of the King鈥檚 Trust Group Company and chair of the King鈥檚 Trust USA. “And it鈥檚 not just giving them money. It鈥檚 giving them opportunity.鈥�
LaKenya Sharpe, principal of The Collins Academy High School in the Chicago neighborhood of North Lawndale, said being taken seriously by such an organization has meant the world to her students. They won the King’s Trust US’ Enterprise Challenge for launching a business that grows and sells fresh vegetables to stores in their area, which lacked access to stores that sold produce.
The 鈥渂abies鈥� in her community often feel as if no one pays attention to them, she said.
鈥淭his shows that they can achieve anything,” Sharpe added. “Their belief now is 鈥極h, other people are watching. Other people are seeing this.鈥� And they ask 鈥楬ow far can this go?鈥� My answer is, ‘It can go as far as you guys take it. Don鈥檛 let anything limit you.’鈥�
Highlighting philanthropic ties between the US and UK
Wednesday’s gala arrived at a moment of between the elected leaders of the two longstanding allies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer鈥檚 refusal to support the United States鈥� war in Iran has angered President Donald Trump.
Charles noted the 鈥渨onderful opportunity鈥� to celebrate 鈥渢he enduring cultural bond鈥� between the two countries, whose relationship he said is 鈥渞ooted in shared creativity, enterprise and values.鈥�
鈥淩eminding us we are truly greater together. That’s the point,鈥� Charles told attendees.
The trust鈥檚 leaders emphasized they’d been planning anniversary celebrations long before the recent rift. But Charles’ emphasis on the country鈥檚 deep philanthropic ties could serve as a reminder of their shared interests, said JP Tribe, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Liverpool who has written about royal patronages.
Tribe hoped the gala showed 鈥渢hat both countries have and can continue to engage in very positive public benefit activity that helps the most disadvantaged in our society.鈥�
Expanding in the United States
The King’s Trust US has set a goal to reach 1,000 young people in the United States this year.
Their biggest partner in that effort is City Year, the education nonprofit that introduced The Collins Academy to The King鈥檚 Trust and sends young adults to help teach in schools nationwide. AmeriCorps members are helping them pilot a version of the 鈥淕et Hired鈥� program. They’re also relying on the nonprofit Per Scholas and Maryland school districts to test some other programs.
Gore said student participants tend to be very focused on their immediate communities. The goal is to show them they can have an impact where they live.
“Keeping employment in communities and keeping people in communities is actually the key to everyone鈥檚 success,” Gore said.
Welch said it doesn’t require giant investments to make an impact. He received a 500 pound ($677) grant and, perhaps more importantly, a mentor who provided office space for the nascent company that he鈥檇 eventually sell for 50 million pounds ($68 million) to Michelin.
He said the blueprint for The King’s Trust’s expansion to succeed already exists. It’s just a matter of building relationships with on-the-ground partners who can reach the people with the most need.
鈥淲hat we see in Chicago, what we see in Orlando, is really no different — with obvious local nuances,” said Welch, who launched his latest venture the Anglo Atlantic advisory and investment firm. “But it鈥檚 not very different to what we see in Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester.鈥�
___
Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP鈥檚 collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP鈥檚 philanthropy coverage, visit .
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
