Charities announce Duchess of Edinburgh as Royal Patron, plus more royal & celeb support for good causes
Melanie May | 4 December 2024 | News
Plan International UK and Capability Scotland have both announced the Duchess of Edinburgh as Royal Patron, while the Princess Royal has become Royal Patron of The Eric Liddell Community. Elsewhere, celebrities including Jane Asher and Gemma Collins have been lending their support to good causes.
Plan International UK & Capability Scotland announce Duchess of Edinburgh as Royal Patron
Plan International UK and Capability Scotland have both announced that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh will serve as Royal Patron. In both cases, the Duchess’s patronage will continue the tradition of Royal support, following on from the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, who was Patron of Plan International UK for eight years until 2021, and supported Capability Scotland for more than six decades.
The Duchess visited the Chad-Sudan border last month to witness firsthand the impact of the conflict and met with young women and girls supported by Plan International UK. Her Royal Highness will support the charity’s work to end violence against women and girls in conflict and crisis settings and help to raise greater awareness about the barriers facing girls around the world.
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The Duchess of Edinburgh has also recently visited Capability Scotland’s Riccarton campus and Craigmillar Hub. During her visit to Craigmillar earlier this year, she engaged with service users and staff, toured the sensory and art spaces, and received a gift created by those supported at the hub. As Royal Patron, The Duchess will lend her support to Capability Scotland’s mission, attending key events such as its 80th-anniversary celebrations and engaging with the charity’s work.
Copyright: Mike Wilkinson
Princess Royal becomes Royal Patron of The Eric Liddell Community
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal assumes a three-year role as Royal Patron of The Eric Liddell Community. The announcement comes after Her Royal Highness’s role as Patron of The Eric Liddell 100 campaign, an initiative that commemorated the centenary of Eric Liddell’s gold medal triumph at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
The Princess Royal has been integral to the campaign, attending events such as the memorial service at St Giles’ Cathedral, the inaugural Eric Liddell Lecture and the National Eric Liddell Awards. At the National Eric Liddell Awards on November 1st, hosted at George Watson’s College, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, presented awards to eight recipients. The Royal Patronage was announced during the event.
Gemma Collins takes a shift in Save the Children’s Christmas pop-up
Ahead of Giving Tuesday, reality star Gemma Collins brought festive and Essex sparkle as she became a ‘Sales Assistant extraordinaire’ at Save the Children’s Christmas Pop-Up in Covent Garden. From greeting customers to sorting out stock, cleaning shelves and manning the till, Gemma was on hand to support the pop-up on Henrietta Street and share how the charity supports children in the UK and worldwide.
The day also saw Gemma entertain customers with pop duo Jedward, who she invited down. The Save the Children Christmas Shop is in Covent Garden until 15 December. 100% of the proceeds will help to fund the charity’s work.
Jane Asher among actors urging older people to apply for Pension Credit
Actors Brian Cox, Jane Asher and Sue Holderness are calling on older people to check their Pension Credit eligibility before the 21 December, to ensure they receive the Winter Fuel Payment this winter. The TV and film regulars have teamed up with Independent Age to highlight the importance of Pension Credit in supporting older people living in financial hardship, with the latest figures showing that almost one million eligible people are missing out on the entitlement.
Succession Star Brian Cox laments that so many older people have to worry about turning the heating on, an issue that shouldn’t be part of a “compassionate and just society”. TV personality Jane Asher was “astounded” to find out that almost one million older people living on low incomes may lose the Winter Fuel Payment this year. Sue Holderness, best known for playing Marlene in Only Fools and Horses, encourages older people to speak to Independent Age before the deadline, as the charity can run free welfare benefit checks and support people to apply.
City Hospice welcomes rugby legend as new ambassador
Former Wales rugby international Sam Warburton OBE has become Cardiff charity City Hospice’s newest ambassador. Known to many rugby fans across Wales as the national team’s captain between 2011 and 2016, Warburton is now a pundit for the sport and has also made his mark in the business world as co-founder of SW7 Academy, a premium digital fitness solution.
As an ambassador for City Hospice, he will raise awareness of the charity’s work in the capital by attending a number of events throughout the year. Warburton recently joined fellow ambassador Nigel Walker OBE as a guest speaker at City Hospice’s inaugural Chair’s Lunch event to mark the charity’s 40th anniversary. Interviewed by Deborah Thomas, the duo shared their experiences and insights on leadership on and off the rugby pitch with the south Wales business community.
Author to take part in Mazda10K for Fondation Autisme
Award-winning children’s author Isabelle Marinov, best known for her novel Boy Underground, is running the Mazda10K race in Split, Croatia, in February to raise funds for Fondation Autisme. The cause is personal to Isabelle, as her son, who inspired Hugo, the protagonist of Boy Underground, is on the autism spectrum.
Boy Underground, published by Sweet Cherry Publishing, follows Hugo, a young boy with autism, on an adventure. Drawing from her own experiences as a parent, Marinov created Hugo to help shed light on the strength, resilience and beauty of neurodiverse children and the challenges they face.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.