Diana Concert funds to help young leprosy sufferers in India

|PIC3|The Leprosy Mission is to invest the £200,000 allocated from last year's Concert for Diana in its six vocational training centres in India that are enabling people marginalised by leprosy or disability gain the right skills for employment.

Hundreds of thousands of young people in India are socially excluded because of leprosy or disability, the charity said. The Leprosy Mission's vocational training centres are helping over 800 of them every year by teaching employable skills which benefit them financially and improve their social status.

Rupert Haydock, National Director for The Leprosy Mission England and Wales, says, "We are very grateful to Princes William and Harry and the Advisory Board of the Concert for Diana for this support.

"The Mission now has the opportunity to make these six centres accessible to many more young people with leprosy-related disabilities."

|PIC1|Around a quarter of the funds will provide disability-friendly access for students at each centre with the provision of ramps and modified bathroom facilities. Wheelchairs will also be provided for students requiring them. In addition, the funds will pay for desperately needed equipment for a variety of trades including welding, motor mechanics, tailoring and computing.

The remainder will be used to run The Leprosy Mission's vocational training centre at Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh. Staff at the centre provide counselling support for students and their parents, who in some cases have experienced severe social exclusion. Students, who come from miles around, are given training and support to find work or start their own businesses.

Mr Haydock said the training projects had been awarded the funds because Princess Diana, who was The Leprosy Mission's patron, "particularly wanted to restore dignity and hope to people affected by leprosy".

"Our vocational training centres strive to continue this legacy today," he said.