NEW YORK – Mike Welch, a Scottish entrepreneur renowned for his success in the online tire retail industry, reflects on how a pivotal moment in his youth, influenced by King Charles III’s charity, altered the course of his career.
Welch, who grew up in a working-class family and grapples with dyslexia, faced challenges with his college entrance exams. At 15, he left school and began working as a tire installer. However, after losing that job, he found himself at the Liverpool job center, contemplating a future in funeral services—a prospect he deemed “a great career” but “pretty grim.” It was there he stumbled upon an advertisement for a charity event offering business grants to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Choosing to pursue this opportunity, Welch soon found himself presenting his business idea in a setting that, while not resembling the set of “Shark Tank,” certainly felt like it. He pitched the concept of selling affordable tires to niche markets, such as his friends with modified cars, to a welcoming audience in a church adorned with vintage furniture.
This marked Welch’s initial encounter with The Prince’s Trust, now known as The King’s Trust following King Charles III’s ascension in 2023. Reflecting on it, Welch, who now resides in Florida, admits, “It wasn’t a well-thought-out plan, really. But they backed me. And they backed my enthusiasm. And they gave me a chance.”
For decades, The Prince’s Trust and The King’s Trust have been pivotal in helping young Brits kick-start their careers. Established in 1976 by then-Prince Charles using his Royal Navy severance pay, the charity emerged during a time of economic hardship in the UK. Over the past 50 years, The King’s Trust claims to have impacted more than 1.3 million young people in Britain, fostering success stories like those of actor Idris Elba and fashion designer Ozwald Boateng.
As King Charles and Queen Camilla embark on their inaugural state visit to the U.S. since his coronation, their itinerary includes celebrating The King’s Trust’s efforts to expand its reach across over 20 countries, including the United States. On Wednesday, the charity will mark its 50th anniversary with a gala event in New York City.
Members of the British Royal Family have traditionally served as patrons of charities, boosting awareness and fundraising for existing organizations in the areas where they rule as nobles. Observers say that Charles’ lasting interest in young people’s employment is evident in his decision to establish his own foundation and continue lending his title to its expanding work even as he ascended the throne.
“The harsh reality today is that the need for the work of people like the trust is growing at a rate far faster than we can grow,” said Jeremy Green, a trustee of the King’s Trust Group Company and chair of the King’s Trust USA.
Giving young people an opportunity
The trust’s geographic footprint largely consists of countries that, at one point or another, fell under British rule.
Its programs reach young people through schools and established nonprofit partners. They include Get Hired, which helps young people — oftentimes without college educations — land their first jobs, and the Development Awards, a grant that helps them afford purchases to advance their careers such as a laptop or professional clothing.
The Enterprise Challenge is an afterschool program where students develop businesses that address a problem in their community.
“What we see every time is that young people want to be helped. They want to be taken seriously,” Green said. “And it’s not just giving them money. It’s giving them opportunity.”
LaKenya Sharpe, principal of The Collins Academy High School in the Chicago neighborhood of North Lawndale, said being taken seriously by The King’s Trust has meant the world to her students, who won The King’s Trust US’ Enterprise Challenge for launching C2C: Crops2Customers. Their business grows and sells fresh vegetables to stores in their area, which lacked access to stores that sold produce.
“A lot of times our babies, especially in this community, feel like no one’s watching, no one is looking, no one is paying attention,” Sharpe said. “This shows that they can achieve anything. Their belief now is ‘Oh, other people are watching. Other people are seeing this.’ And they ask ”How far can this go?” My answer is, “It can go as far as you guys take it. Don’t let anything limit you.’”
Highlighting philanthropic ties between the US and UK
Wednesday’s gala aims to showcase “the very best of British-American philanthropy through the individual arts, culture, investments between the two countries,” according to The King’s Trust USA CEO Victoria Gore.
The gala arrives at a moment of unusual tension between the elected leaders of the two longstanding allies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to support the United States’ war in Iran has angered President Donald Trump.
The trust’s leaders emphasized that the anniversary celebrations have been in place long before the recent rift. But Charles’ emphasis on the country’s deep philanthropic ties could serve as a reminder of their shared interests, according to JP Tribe, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Liverpool who has written about royal patronages.
“Hopefully the gala is a kind of event which shows that both countries have and can continue to engage in very positive public benefit activity that helps the most disadvantaged in our society,” Tribe said.
Expanding in the United States
The King’s Trust US has set a goal to reach 1,000 young people in the United States this year.
Their biggest partner in that effort is City Year, the education nonprofit that introduced The Collins Academy to The King’s Trust and sends young adults to help teach in schools nationwide. AmeriCorps members are helping them pilot a version of the “Get Hired” program. They’re also relying on the nonprofit Per Scholas and Maryland school districts to test some other programs.
Gore said student participants tend to be very focused on their immediate communities. The goal is to show them they can have an impact where they live.
“Keeping employment in communities and keeping people in communities is actually the key to everyone’s success,” Gore said.
Welch said it doesn’t require giant investments to make an impact. He received a 500 pound ($677) grant and, perhaps more importantly, a mentor who provided office space for the nascent company that he’d eventually sell for 50 million pounds ($68 million) to Michelin.
He said the blueprint for The King’s Trust’s expansion to succeed already exists. It’s just a matter of building relationships with on-the-ground partners who can reach the people with the most need.
“What we see in Chicago, what we see in Orlando, is really no different — with obvious local nuances,” said Welch, who launched his latest venture the Anglo Atlantic advisory and investment firm. “But it’s not very different to what we see in Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester.”
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