DURING these challenging economic times, it is often young people who suffer most.

In Britain today there are more than one million people under the age of 25 who are not in work, education or in training and many more have underachieved at school. In the North-west alone, more than 60,000 young people aged between 16 and 29 will claim job seekers allowance this month.

In their short life-times, many of these young people will have already been written off as “losers” and others branded “out of control”.

Of course, we cannot forget the young people across the country who have so tragically lost their lives through gun or knife crime this year.

But we all have a responsibility to tell the truth about our young people.

This week marks The Prince’s Trust’s first national Youth Week, which aims to highlight the positive difference that young people make to communities across the North-west.

All too often their work in the community goes unnoticed under a shadow of negative headlines.

Research shows that teenagers are more likely to volunteer than any other age group. Young people on Prince’s Trust programmes have also contributed almost £100 million to their local communities through tens of thousands of community projects across the UK.

This figure is especially significant when you remember that these young volunteers will have either struggled at school, have been in care, have a history of long-term unemployment or have been in trouble with the law.

Their successes are testament to the fact that young people do care about where they live and can turn their lives around with the right support.

Last year in the North-west, The Prince’s Trust supported more than 4,500 disadvantaged young people in need of a second chance. Three in four went on to access work, education or training.

If we stop believing in our young people, young people will stop believing in themselves. They hold the key to our region’s future economic prosperity and the prosperity of communities across the North-west.

To pledge support for young people, visit princes-trust.org.uk/youthweek

Jackie Tyler, Regional director for The Prince’s Trust in the North-west