Youth charity The Prince’s Trust Cymru has been announced as the first new tenant for the re-vamped Howells Building on St Mary Street, as part of the ambitious re-design plans for the historic property.

The Prince’s Trust will occupy 12,000 square feet of the building, including an entrance at street level so that young people can easily drop into the Centre for advice and guidance. It is the first step in The Trust’s Wales-wide relocation plan to upgrade its Centres making them more accessible and visible to the young people it helps.

Founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1976, The Trust gives young people the practical and financial support they need to move forward with their lives, helping them to develop the confidence and skills required to get into work, education or training.

In the past 12 months, The Prince’s Trust Cymru has supported more than 4000 young people in Wales to realise their potential. The charity will deliver courses from the Howells Building to enable even more young people across South East Wales to make the most of their talents and take the next steps in their education or career.

Philip Jones, Director of The Prince’s Trust Cymru, said:

“Today’s announcement is an important milestone; both in the history of The Prince’s Trust in Wales, and in launching our future plans to support even more young people in new and innovative ways. Relocating to this iconic building on one of the busiest streets in Cardiff will ensure we are more visible and accessible to the young people in South East Wales in greatest need of our support. The potential of young people in Wales is huge. We are incredibly excited at the prospect of helping even more young people to reach theirs!”

Azeemeh Zaheer, CEO of Naissance Capital Real Estate, who acquired the site in 2016, is very excited to welcome the charity to Howells Building:

“Since bringing Naissance Capital to Wales in 2016, I have supported a number of local community organisations that impact the local community in a positive way. I joined The Prince’s Trust Cymru Advisory Committee two years ago, and was immediately inspired by The Trust’s work and their vision to support young people in Wales. I am very much looking forward to seeing what the next chapter in our partnership brings.”

Work on the site is due to begin in January 2020, with The Trust’s new Centre opening in the autumn.