Latest news with #RoyalFoundationBusinessTaskforceforEarlyChildhood
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Kate and William land prestigious award - but it's bad news for Meghan and Harry
Prince William and Kate Middleton have been named among the 100 most influential philanthropists by Time magazine, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle missing out on a spot The Prince and Princess of Wales have secured a spot on Time magazine's prestigious list of their Top 100 Philanthropy Awards, but it's bad news for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Time 100 Philanthropy 2025 list aims to celebrate "the 100 most influential people shaping the future of giving at a pivotal moment". The respected publication hailed William and Kate as philanthropic innovators for "modernising royal philanthropy". " Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are less concerned with cultural preservation and more attuned to social issues," the magazine notes, highlighting their commitment to tackling homelessness, mental health, and environmental concerns. It further states: "Crucial to the Waleses' approach is aligning social imperatives with sound business strategies and building corporate alliances to expand their reach." Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan were snubbed from this year's list, despite being included four years ago. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who quit their royal roles in 2020 to pursue private ventures in the corporate world, previously secured a spot on Time's roster of the most influential figures back in 2021, which included a cover feature on the prestigious publication. However, the couple, who tout themselves as "shaping the future through business and philanthropy" on their website, did not make the cut this year. William was recognised for creating his innovative Earthshot Prize Awards, now in its fifth year of a decade-long project. The global, launched in 2020, is handing out £50 million of awards to fund innovative solutions to environmental challenges to support their platform to address the world 's most pressing environmental problems. Meanwhile, Kate has been heavily involved in promoting children's early development in recent years. She launched her Shaping Us scheme and Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, which aims to encourage employers to prioritise caring for the young. Other prominent figures listed as leading philanthropists include David Beckham, Oprah Winfrey, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Melinda French Gates, singer Dolly Parton, and actor Michael Sheen.
The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Kate and Wills hailed in Time's 100 most influential people ‘shaping the future' – as Meg & Harry snubbed
The Prince and Princess of Wales have today been named by Time Magazine in their Top 100 Philanthropy Awards. They hailed Catherine and William as philanthropic innovators for 'modernising royal philanthropy'. Advertisement 1 Harry and Meghan appeared on the prestigious list in 2021 It comes after Harry and Meghan were named in the Top 100 list of most influential people in 2021. In recent years, Kate has launched her Shaping Us scheme and Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, aimed at encouraging employers to prioritise caring for the young. It has teamed up with major companies such as Deloitte, Lego and Co-op. Meanwhile, Prince William is planning his fifth Earthshot Prize which provides £5 million per year on eco-projects around the globe. Advertisement His campaign to end homelessness through the charity Homewards has linked up with Pret-a-Manger and Natwest, among others. Speaking about his aims at Earthshot Awards in Cape Town last year, William said: "It's more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people." Times Magazine said of the royal couple: "Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are less concerned with cultural preservation and more attuned to social issues, tackling homelessness and rural mental health through their Royal Foundation and spotlighting innovative solutions to climate change through the Earthshot Prize, an environmental award founded by William in 2020." It added: "Crucial to the Waleses' approach is aligning social imperatives with sound business strategies and building corporate alliances." Advertisement Most read in Royals Meghan recently spoke at a glitzy TIME100 summit in New York where she defended her Netflix series in an on-stage interview. Harry and Meghan have long hailed their own philanthropic work through the Archewell Foundation. But the Duke has recently stepped down from the charity Sentebale after bitter rifts.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Six months' paternity leave is ridiculous – not all things have to be equal
'Investing in early childhood'? Seems like a good idea. I keep being told that children are the future – which is a terrifying thought (they're so small, and they can't really do anything). Though not quite as terrifying as the idea of men being given six months' paternity leave. Inspired by the Princess of Wales – who has been urging business leaders to support new parents as part of her work with the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood – Deloitte is to give all new fathers at least six months off work… on full pay. Jazz hands please, no clapping, lest it upsets any of the sore-nippled, papoose-wearing baby daddies out there. I shouldn't sneer. The consultancy firm is doing this, it says, in order to increase its number of female partners. Which would obviously be a positive. In the UK, women still only constitute 37 per cent of partners in law firms, while accountancy firms have just 18 per cent women in partner roles, so in theory at least (we'll get to the inconvenient truths shortly), policies like this one might help give those figures a stimulus. Deloitte, I should point out, is also the first member of 'the big four' – which also includes Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers – to address the impact of unequal parental leave on working mothers' career progression. So far, so saintly. But I have a few follow-up questions. First, you do realise that it's totally unfeasible for small or even medium-sized businesses to embrace this policy? It won't, in fact, boost any figures other than our ballooning 'out of office' statistics. Just under a quarter of the working-age population (those aged 16-64) do not currently have a job. That's about 11 million people. So, is now really the time to be devising fresh incentives for Britons not to work? Is carving out a whole new 'economically inactive' demographic (to add to the chronically work-shy brigade and the cynical 'mental health' hijackers) really the way to get the UK back on track, boost economic growth alongside living standards, and improve social outcomes? Because, while I'm sure that the bambino benefits from the presence of his daddy in those first few precious months, the state of the country he or she grows up in is also, arguably, going to be important. Second (and I've been a bit slow on the uptake here), since it turns out that you don't have to be the 'primary caregiver' to qualify for paternity leave, what are these men actually going to be doing for half a year? I can't help but think of a couple I knew, who would leave the dinner party table together, mid-meal, to breastfeed their baby. When I asked the husband why that was, he explained that he was 'there to support' his wife. Which was quite lovely, I told him, thinking: 'I have no words'. Those early months can be lonely, it's true (although in my case it was a good kind of lonely – the best), but what would six months of a husband-turned-doula do to a woman's mental health, I wonder? Or the country's divorce statistics? If we're spinning this thing out to farcical levels, why stop at husbands? Last July, Sweden rolled out a new law that allows parents to transfer some of their paid parental leave to grandparents, so let's get Nana and Grandad on the gravy train too. Let's get the aunties and the uncles involved, the nieces and the nephews. How are we going to pay for all this leave? We can't get bogged down with that. I don't even have to read the Business Taskforce for Early Childhood's newly released report to know that the more family members you are surrounded by in early life, the better your… everything. Idealism isn't, in fact, the problem. You can aim for the stars without getting caught up in our toddler-esque fixation with 'fairness'. It's not fair that women have periods, babies, the menopause. It's not fair that a womb and breasts can negatively impact a woman's career. And I'm all for trying to level the playing field wherever possible. I can even understand the need to 'challenge' the 'primary parent' model, just so long as we're clear that, in general – and until men can bear children and breastfeed – that 'primary parent' will remain the mother. 'Deloitte's decision to give men six months of fully paid leave isn't just about families – it's about the future of work,' wrote one mummy blogger yesterday. If the future of work is extended periods of paid non-work, we're going to have much bigger problems than the gender gap. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kate Middleton Got LEGO and IKEA on Her Side — Inside Her Quiet Power Move for U.K. Families
Kate Middleton's mission to elevate early childhood as a national priority is making meaningful strides — with the business world increasingly on board. Through a series of new initiatives, Princess Kate's Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood has inspired major companies — from IKEA to leading banks and supermarkets — to roll out programs designed to better support parents and help children thrive. The momentum follows a landmark report released by the Princess of Wales last year, which outlined the urgent need to prioritize the early years. The report underscored that every child deserves a happy, healthy start in life — and that investing in early childhood isn't just the right thing to do, it's also smart economics. By supporting caregivers and families, the paper argued, businesses can reduce absenteeism, boost employee retention, and support mental health and wellbeing across the workforce — all while helping to raise a more resilient future generation. Since the report's release, each member of the Taskforce — which runs alongside Kate's broader Shaping Us campaign — has pledged to take action. Related: You May Have Missed Kate Middleton's Thoughtful Nod to Queen Elizabeth During Latest Outing in Monarch's Honor Kate Middleton's early childhood campaign is gaining real traction — with major businesses across the U.K. stepping up in meaningful ways. According to the Princess of Wales' office, LEGO has donated LEGO® Education Build Me 'Emotions' sets — designed to help children identify and understand their feelings — to early years providers throughout the U.K. IKEA has partnered with local baby banks to provide essential items to families in need and launched a product line that raised funds for the Baby Bank Alliance. NatWest bank expanded its lending capacity for early years care settings and created tools to help nurseries operate more sustainably. Supermarket chain Iceland has trained 30,000 staff to better support young families and collaborated with online forum Mumsnet to launch a range of toddler meals — a project that raised funds for Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital and encourages healthy eating. Meanwhile, local grocery store Co-Op, inspired by Kate's Shaping Us Framework, is now working to help parents and carers better understand and foster children's social and emotional development. Much of this work continued behind the scenes during Kate's cancer treatment throughout 2024, though she remained closely informed — including on the release of last May's influential task force report. On May 18, Sir Ron Kalifa, Chair of the Taskforce, praised the progress made: 'Businesses of every shape and size – from high-street shops to global enterprises – hold unique and powerful touchpoints: as employers, as providers of goods and services, and as pillars of the communities they proudly serve. These roles aren't just business functions – they're incredible platforms for meaningful action." Related: Kate Middleton 'Excited' About Next Stage of Her Landmark Project, but It Doesn't Signal a Return to Work He added, 'At The Royal Foundation, we are deeply proud that over the past year, members of our taskforce have shown such strong leadership and risen to this challenge. Their efforts have made a real, tangible difference in the lives of countless families with young children." 'And this is only the beginning of what's possible. The road ahead is bursting with potential," he said. "By continuing to work hand-in-hand, we have the chance to reimagine the role of business in society — not just as engines of economic activity, but as champions of childhood, wellbeing, and long-term societal health.' Kate launched her Business Taskforce in March 2023 as part of her broader early years mission — and has recently begun a gradual return to public life after announcing in January that her cancer is in remission. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! On May 13, she stepped out in London to honor rising fashion talent at a design event, where winner Patrick McDowell, 29, told PEOPLE, "She was so interested to see the different crafts people were working on… She was genuinely interested to meet all of them and hear about what they do and how each of them contributes to the process of a fashion collection coming together." Later this week, she's expected to join her husband, Prince William, in Scotland to christen a new state-of-the-art anti-submarine warship, HMS Glasgow. Read the original article on People
