MORE young people than ever in the region are being helped by the Prince of Wales' favourite charity The Prince's Trust.

The fast-growing trust has announced its third successive record year with £4m going to thousands of needy young people.

Now nine programmes focus help on educational underachievers, ex-offenders and those at risk of offending, the unemployed and those either in care or leaving care. All are aged between 14 and 30.

The regional operation has been so successful it is being used as a model for the rest of the country.

Regional director David Beavis said the trust had achieved 64 per cent growth in three years and was on target to reach 90 per cent over the coming year.

He said: "One of the reasons for such unprecedented growth is the fact that since 1999 the North-East operation of the trust, together with all other regions of the UK, has had responsibility for the delivery of all the trust's programmes in addition to business start-up.

"In many ways the North-East operation of the trust has become a flagship for regionalisation and progress. We must now build on our success.

"Having one single trust will provide a much wider range of opportunities for young people here in the North-East."