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Prince William put on spot by schoolboy’s bank account query
The Royal laughed and said he didn't know as he took questions during a visit to youth project on Manchester's Moss Side
The Prince of Wales has said he “doesn’t know” how much money is in his bank account after a question from an 11-year-old boy.
The Prince was visiting Manchester’s Moss Side to learn about a project tackling youth violence with Andy Burnham, the city’s mayor.
He announced a £100,000 scheme, funded jointly by the Royal Foundation and the Labour politician’s office, which will bolster the work of the Manchester Peace Together Alliance.
As he met young people and volunteers at the Hideaway Youth Project, which is a lead partner of the Manchester Peace Together Alliance, the Prince sat down with some schoolchildren working on a collage.
Amir Hassan, 11, made the Royal laugh when he asked him: “How much do you have in your bank account?”
The schoolboy said afterwards the future king had quipped he “didn’t know”.
Prince William was also asked whether he wanted to join the art project, where the children were cutting out hairstyles they thought were empowering and positive, and replied: “I’m literally the last person you should ask. My hair is disappearing.”
He also briefly joined a game of pool and produced groans from the watching guests when he twice failed to pot a yellow ball.
The £100,000 of funding will be used to create an employment, skills and training programme for young people at risk of violence. It is a first for the alliance, a community-led initiative combating the underlying causes of youth violence with targeted mentoring and activities.
Under the three-year project will the alliance will work with the private sector for the first time, which has committed to providing work shadowing, apprenticeships and employment for young people.
Describing the benefits of the project, Mr Burnham said: “The city is succeeding in many ways. The community is still strong, what we haven’t got yet are the paths for people so that they can see the opportunities out there and then get that support.
“Be it educational support, or personal support to make their way towards taking up those opportunities. And for me, this is absolutely about the next chapter of Greater Manchester.”
The Prince also met some mothers who had lost children to violence, including Audrey Preston, 57, whose 21-year-old son was killed three years ago.
She said: “I think it’s important he came to Moss Side to listen to our stories. When I was told he was coming I thought ‘wow, why would he want to come and listen to me?’.
“Lots of kids get murdered in this area and nobody cares really about the families, we’re just left to our own devices, so it’s good he came, good for the community.”
The Prince’s Royal Foundation will also provide £25,000 in funding to the Hideaway Youth Project to cover the cost of IT equipment and the refurbishment of a recording studio.