The Prince’s Trust’s Cameron Long

The riots in London this summer showed that there is a generation of young people who feel alienated from the society in which they live. The current economic downturn together with the effects of decreased social mobility means that there are few opportunities available for them to get on and start contributing. Cameron Long was one such teenager who was aimless and without direction. A resident of Elephant & Castle in south London, his mother’s illness and his father’s alcoholism meant that he was forced to miss large chunks of school.

He dropped out of sixth form college and became depressed and withdrawn, wandering the streets or staying at home. However, after signing up for a course run by the Prince’s Trust, he began to turn his life around. The course, entitled ‘Get Into Parks and Green Spaces’, saw him gardening in Hyde Park and boosting his confidence and encouraging him to get into work. Now an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, he talked to The London Word about his work and how the Prince’s Trust can motivate and empower.

How did you first get involved with the Prince’s Trust?

‘I saw the course online which offered the chance to get into horticulture and landscape design. After I applied for it, they invited me in and offered me a place to go on the course for two weeks in Hyde Park. We spent time in the nursery, learning how the plants were growing and about pruning. Basically, it was learning how to look after plants. We did a day of drawing up our own gardens and designing. Every day was different, so that kept it nice and fresh.’

What was it like working in Hyde Park?

‘It was brilliant. It was really great to be working with people from similar backgrounds. It gave me a real structure and it boosted my confidence, that was the main thing for me.’

Where do you think you would be if you weren’t involved with the Prince’s Trust?

‘I would probably be indoors, not doing very much, not really caring. I’d probably be wandering the streets, like I used to before.’

You grew up in Elephant & Castle. What was it like growing up there?

‘My own experience was it that wasn’t too bad. I had a brilliant time. My grandparents lived on an estate that was perceived as rough but I didn’t think it was too bad. I just think it’s portrayed as bad so that the young people that are there then look bad.’

How do you think the area has changed during your time growing up there as it has gone through a number of transformations?

‘It’s changed in that the estate I lived on is now derelict and is going to be knocked down. There’s also been a big shift in the community, a lot of people have disappeared, in that they’ve moved away. As I’ve got older, I’ve realised that there are quite a few problems around here. During the riots, although it wasn’t on the news, our street got hit pretty bad so that was quite a shock.’

How did the community feel about what went on during that time?

‘Everyone was just really shocked. No-one could believe that it was happening here. Everyone was really upset for the next couple of days. It was just small businesses being attacked and you just think, “Why have you got to attack them? What have they done to you?”

‘I think it’s really important to help young people who live in places affected by the rioting. Most young people had nothing to do with it but they still need opportunities. The Prince’s Trust is doubling its support for young people in five of the areas hardest hit, including Manchester, Birmingham, Hackney, Tottenham and Croydon. They are committing £1 million from funds previously donated but urgently need to raise another £1.5 million. I would urge people out there who are in a position to help to get involved. You can go to their website for more information.’

Talking about the Prince’s Trust, you’re now an ambassador for them. What does your work entail?

‘It’s basically going around getting the word about the Prince’s Trust out there, getting more young people to realise what the charity does because I don’t think a lot of people do.’

When dealing with these young people, what sort of skills do you need?

‘To try and understand really, just to be there for them. You have to have a lot of patience with them because it’s not always easy. I know a few of my friends who are in a similar situation to how I was and they haven’t yet approached the Prince’s Trust. I’ve met young people who are just at the start of their journeys and I say to them, “It will get better.”‘

What advice would you give to someone who might not know about the Prince’s Trust and the work that they do?

‘I would say “Go for it, go towards them. They’re not just there to help you, you have to help yourself. They’re not going to do everything for you. You need to take the first couple of steps.”‘

What are your own future projects?

‘I’m going to be studying art and design. Unfortunately the course I was on got cancelled and they only told me two days before the course was about to start so that’s quite annoying. I also do furniture restoration in my own time. I like old things and never liked the idea of people throwing things away.’

Cameron is an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust who have linked up with American Express to launch the Amex Be Inspired campaign. For every tweet they receive from people telling them what inspires them using the hash tag #AmexBeInspired, they will donate 50p to the Prince’s Trust. Visit the account here.