Will.i.am donates £500k Voice earnings to the Prince's Trust

Will.i.am donates £500k Voice earnings to the Prince's Trust

The generous Black Eyed Peas star tweeted today: "I gave the majority of the money I made on the voice to the @PrincesTrust to build a tech program to get the kids from east LDN up to speed."

The 37-year-old wanted to hand over the cash after meeting the charity's founder, the Prince of Wales.

US rapper Will said that by working with Charles' charity he was joining a mission to help transform the lives of disadvantaged young people.

Will met youngsters on a Prince's Trust personal development course in East London last month.

And he later visited Prince Charles at Clarence House to discuss how his i.am.angel Foundation could support the charity's work.

The donation came from his wages for judging BBC1 talent show The Voice alongside Tom Jones, Jessie J and Danny O'Donoghue.

The star said: "My donation to the trust will help these young people build skills that are vital in today's and tomorrow's job market, including technology and computer knowledge."

He added: "I grew up in east Los Angeles, one of the most under-served and tough neighbourhoods in America.

"My family made sure I understood that getting a good education and hard work were key to turning my dreams into reality and beating the odds that come with growing up in a disadvantaged situation.

"The Prince's Trust has a 36-year history of assisting disadvantaged youth, so I am pleased to be collaborating with an organisation that shares my mission to transform the lives of young people who need extra support and structure in their lives."

A spokeswoman for the trust said the donation would go towards courses that support vulnerable and unemployed young people to get their lives on track.

Martina Milburn, the trust's chief executive, said: "The Prince's Trust is a charity which depends on generous donations such as these.

"Will.i.am is an inspiring character - we're excited about his vision of helping the most disadvantaged to improve their computer skills and we're incredibly grateful for the donation.

"It will make a huge difference to vulnerable young lives in the UK today."