ENTREPRENEUR Ed Lawson has returned to his native North-East and brought valuable wisdom with him.

Mr Lawson, 59, took a year out from running his construction and maintenance firm in the Middle East, intending to spend 12 months at home relaxing.

But the Harley Davidson enthusiast, from Hamsterley Mill, near Consett, soon became bored. So he enlisted as a voluntary mentor with the Prince's Trust to help young businessmen and women.

"After a while I felt I needed to be mentally active again," he said. "I was put in touch with the Prince's Trust and liked what they were offering by way of business mentoring volunteers. It was very much in line with my business background."

He is helping Charles Pickles and Patrick Morton, who run asbestos consultancy Lucion Environment in Scotswood, Newcastle.

Mr Pickles said: "We were told we would get a mentor, but we weren't expecting someone as experienced and knowledgeable as Mr Lawson. We are more than impressed."

Mr Lawson will also be advising Concept Personnel, a Tyneside-based creative and new media consultants.

Owner Jo Nelson, 29, said: "We are all running businesses and the principles are exactly the same, but it is very useful to have someone experienced around to help you with the big decisions."

Steve Peart, business support manager at the Prince's Trust, said that out of the 400 new businesses the trust backs in the region annually, more than 60 per cent are still trading three years on.

"This is one of the highest survival rates for new business starts and is very largely due to the mentoring process," he said.

"We welcome volunteer mentors from all walks of life as we try to provide a mentor to every new business we start. Self-employed people, particularly in their early years, can feel very isolated. Having someone on hand with business knowledge and experience is an enormous help."

Anyone interested in being a voluntary mentor for the trust should call the regional office on (0191) 478 8488.