The Prince’s Trust

Frances joined the Prince’s Trust as a volunteer in August 2006 and became a member of the Herts and Beds Communications Committee. Her first task was to research, produce, direct and edit a film of the Trust’s work for the Trust’s 30th anniversary celebrations in the Herts and Beds region.

With absolutely no budget whatsoever, Frances persuaded a local film company to come on board. She researched six Prince’s Trust case studies and arranged the filming schedule, negotiating with the film company and various locations. She also so arranged for Trust Ambassador Les Ferdinand to do the links and persuaded top bands the Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand to provide some of their music for free. The film, ‘In The Spotlight’ was a big success.

Frances set up extensive regional newspaper coverage from case studies and liaised with and briefed PT clients before they spoke to the media. She attended the Herts Show and worked on the PT stand. Beforehand she interviewed a PT client, whose dance company was giving several performances at the show. The interview was placed in a local newspaper

She was asked to publicise the need for Business Mentors in Bedfordshire and researched and interviewed current mentors and clients, wrote and placed three stories in local newspapers

When the Communications Committee was disbanded by the Eastern Region office of the Prince’s Trust, Frances was invited to join Development Awards Committee and became a Development Award Assessor. Within a year Frances had become chairman of the committee, while she continued to work directly with young people as a Development Award Assessor. As Chair of the Committee she invited a number of outside speakers and maintained relationships with many partnership organisations such as Connexions in Hemel Hempstead

Frances also became the writer and editor of the region’s seasonal newsletter for which she sourced the content.

She implemented the creation of a Youth Panel for teenage recipients of Development Award and also sourced some excellent young volunteers for its separate committee.

Frances approached the St Albans Chamber of Commerce to ask if the Prince’s Trust could be the beneficiary of its most popular event, the St George’s Day business lunch. She asked the County Chairman to get a PT Ambassador as the keynote speaker and comedienne Helen Lederer was the star turn. Graffiti artist Rich Simmons, who had been supported by the Trust also gave a live performance and was the sensation of the event, which raised over £13,500 for the charity.
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Frances signed up for a fund raising trek to the Himalayas in 2009 and raised over £4,000 for the Trust. She interviewed the other trek members and wrote and placed stories on each in their local newspapers to raise the profile of the charity and the trek. She also gained a commission from the Sunday Mirror newspaper’s magazine and wrote a feature which was published after the trek. She donated her fee to the Prince’s Trust.

“I have worked with Frances on a number of PR Events and Projects and have always been extremely impressed with her drive, knowledge and ‘can do’ attitude when it comes to managing projects.

She has an instinctive and natural ability to identify the best approaches for marketing a project and leveraging the PR opportunities to ensure that they generate the best return on investment.

A consummate professional and a person whom I would have no hesitation in recommending for any Public Relations, Marketing and Event Management Projects.”
Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Creative

Peter Barker Chairman of the Prince’s Trust Communications Committee 2005-2007 and the Development Awards Committee 2007-2009

“Frances is an extremely professional / experienced Public Relations specialist, having worked in a number of Sectors. I am delighted to recommend her work”

Steve Lindsay, Chairman, Chair – Prince’s Trust – Herts & Beds County Development Board

Click here for the article from The Sunday Mirror which Frances wrote after her fundraising Himalayan Trek, for which she raised over £4,000 for the Prince’s Trust.