THE Prince's Trust, the UK's leading youth charity, is urging people across East Lancashire to make a New Year's resolution to make a difference in their community.

The charity has developed an increasing number of activities in the area, including business start-up support, individual mentoring to young people facing barriers and group activities to promote community cohesion and wants the New Year to be an incentive for more people to become involved.

In total, about 600 young people are supported by The Trust each year across Lancashire and the charity relies on the support from local volunteers to ensure these young people achieve their goals.

Through this latest campaign, The Prince's Trust wants to encourage a diverse range of new volunteers to come forward to reflect the diversity of the local community.

"Everybody has something to offer," commented head of operations for The Prince's Trust in Lancashire Paul Matthews.

"We need volunteers in East Lancashire to work directly with young people and also do some of the behind-the-scenes work such as credit control on our Business Programme.

"Volunteers really are crucial to the success of our work and we could not support as many young people as we do without them," continued Paul.

"The advice and encouragement they are able to offer is difficult to measure, but is an important part in the young people's development and subsequent achievement.

"The mentors themselves also get so much out of it in terms of personal satisfaction at helping someone to achieve their goals and their own skill development."

Anyone interested in becoming involved with The Prince's Trust in East Lancashire and making a difference in 2004, should contact Dorothy Bottomley 01282 714160.

Further information about The Prince's Trust is available on 0800 842 842 or at www.princes-trust.org.uk.