AN EXPANDED team of advisers giving business help to young people in Gwent is celebrating remarkable success in raising the numbers of local young entrepreneurs.

The Prince's Trust-Cymru set up a regional office at Newport in May, serving the city, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent.

In the previous 12 months, single-handedly, enterprise development officer Alwyn Hughes had covered the area from a base in Cardiff, managing to attract 50 budding businesspeople.

All these went before a Prince's Trust-Cymru panel for grant aid assessment and 35 were successful.

With the setting up of the Newport base at Enterprise Way and the addition of enterprise development officer Howard Thompson and Gwent centre manager David Blair to the staff, 46 applicants have received grants in just seven months.

With five months to go, hopes are high that this will be significantly increased. The trust helps anyone between 18 and 30 with a viable business idea to become self-employed.

It not only has various arrangements for raising awareness of its work - including 'Business Buddy' workshops - but also provides a mentor to watch over each individual while the business takes its first tentative steps.

Setting up in the Orion Suite at Enterprise Way meant that it was under the same roof as other agencies, including Newport and Gwent Enterprise and the Newport and Gwent Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ngb2b).

All these help under partnership arrangements.

The voluntary side of the trust's work comes into play with membership of the assessing panels, made up of people who give their own time and business and commercial experience to decide who are worthy recipients of Trust grants.

Newport's success reflects that of Wales as a whole in the percentage of Trust start-up businesses which are still motoring after three years - 60 per cent in Wales compared with 30 per cent elsewhere in the UK.

Mr Blair, who is on secondment from the Assembly, said raising awareness of the Trust's work was important. "We had a mobile unit at the recent Newport Festival of Enterprise and this gave us the opportunity to flag up the fact that we are here and giving support," he said.

Since the start of the trust's involvement in Gwent, an average of 40 businesses a year have been set up, giving an impressive total of around 400 so far.

By any measure, this is a significant contribution to the local economy and to the philosophy of entrepreneurship among the young.

"Basically we are trying to help young people to help themselves and to create a healthy Welsh economy," Mr Blair said.

Mr Thompson believes the increasing activity of the Newport headquarters (it's called that but most of its occupants are out working where they are needed) justifies a call for more people to act as mentors.

Anyone interested should ring the office at 01633 262664 or Mr Thompson on his mobile, 07967 344072.

* HAYLEY Beaton has the Prince's Trust to thank for the bustling business she started in Tredegar in August.

Hayley's Bistro is doing nicely, despite a few handicaps in the beginning.

When the 24-year-old single mum from Georgetown set out as a young entrepreneur, she also had to pay for re-wiring of the premises.

She had been nursing for a short time in Bedwellty, but an illness forced her to give this up and consider working for herself.

"It was really the last thing I wanted to do but I received £3,800 from the Prince's Trust and I raised around £8,000 myself," she said.

The opening of a big store close by has meant that more people are coming into town and calling in at her premises as well.

Despite being in business for a relatively short time, Hayley has a staff of three - Wendy Went, Susan Morgan and cook Jane Twaite.

She said she wanted to thank everyone who gave her help and continues to take an interest in her enterprise.

"It's going really well," she said. "I am now thinking of opening a shoe shop as well."