Prince of Wales champions regeneration effort in region

The Prince of Wales called into Middlesbrough and Redcar, in east Cleveland, to see how projects his charities support are helping to deliver hope and aspiration to would be entrepreneurs and jobseekers.

He visited several sites as part of his role as the president of the Business in the Community project, including a new Start-Up Shop in The Mall, Middlesbrough, and a visit to the SSI steel plant in Redcar.

Hundreds of people filled the streets when the Prince spoke at the Redcar Community Summit, where he met Frankie Wales, chief executive of Redcar Development Trust, which is helping people to set up their own business or to fund work.

Mr Wales has worked alongside Greggs chief executive Ken McMeikan and Helen Milligan, from the company, who shot to fame after appearing in the Apprentice.

They have been working together to get local businesses up and running through Inflexions, a start-up centre in the town.

The prince described Mr Wales an “inspirational person”

after a tour of the boxing club he has been running since 2000.

Speaking after the royal visit, Mr Wales said: “It was great to get the approval of Prince Charles for all of the work people are doing in the town – it is a great honour that he has come back to see how much progress has been made.”

Sarah Jenkins was among the hundreds of people who waited outside Coatham Memorial Hall, in Redcar, to catch a glimpse of the royal visitor.

She said: “It was really good that he took the time to speak to people in the street after his visit. He was really charming.”

Earlier in the day, the prince was in Middlesbrough to visit a new Start-Up Shop which enables people to set up in business on a small scale before hopefully moving onto larger premises.

The Royal also called into the head office of the charity Fairbridge, which has merged with the Prince’s Trust to help disadvantaged young people to get on the career ladder.