May 19, 2025
THE MIDDLETONS : James and Alizèe Middleton with Isla, Mabel & Ned at the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea (Photo Courtesy : Sandra Mailer) | 19 MAY 2025
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THE MIDDLETONS : James and Alizèe Middleton with Isla, Mabel & Ned at the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea (Photo Courtesy : Sandra Mailer) | 19 MAY 2025
19 MAY 2025 | Lady Gabriella Windsor (Ella Windsor) spoke about the Princess of Wales and her experience working with her on the 'Together at Christmas' Carol Service the previous year, during an interview about her patronage, 'Restore the Music'.
Speaking about the invitation to help out with the Carol Service, she said :
It was such an honour to be involved, and very thoughtful and kind-hearted of the Princess to include me. I was very touched. She was so lovely to work with, always gracious, very creative and with so much vision and passion for the many charities and causes she supports.
The Princess’s carol concert is such a brilliant event and idea, to thank and shine a light on hundreds of the most outstanding charities in the UK. I was happy to have a little part in it. My role was to support on the musical side of things, and to put forward artists and ideas.”
How Restore helped out :
“Two of the school bands played Christmas classics to guests as they arrived at the Abbey, which the guests loved. The students also really enjoyed it.
As did Gregory Porter and Rosie Chan, who were some of the other artists I put forward. It was very positive all around.”
Talking about the surprises organised by The Princess of Wales during the event :
"There were surprises for everyone, even the people involved. It was a very special idea of hers to include ballet dancers at the concert – I didn’t know that there would be children as well as adult dancers, all brightly and beautifully dressed as they danced through the abbey.
It was a wonderful gathering of creative people, and it was extremely moving. I loved it and I was really touched to be asked. It was very kind of her.”
The singer-songwriter recently became the patron of charity Restore the Music, which helps schools to provide music lessons and inspire chi
THE MIDDLETONS : James Middleton with Isla & Mabel at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show at Royal Hospital Chelsea (Photo Courtesy : Stephen Lock) | 19 MAY 2025
NEWS -
THE EARLY YEARS BUISNESS TASKFORCE HAS RELEASED ITS REPORT ON THEIR YEAR OF CHAMPIONING CHANGE -
One year on from the publication of its landmark “Case for Change” report, The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood has delivered a broad range of initiatives, demonstrating the vital role business can play in creating a society which prioritises its youngest members and those caring for them.
When the report was launched, each member of the Taskforce pledged to take action. They have each chosen different areas of opportunity, and the impact has been varied and vast:
The LEGO Group has donated LEGO® Education Build Me “Emotions” sets to early years providers across every corner of the UK. The sets are designed to help children to explore their emotions in a playful way. It is also working with a coalition of partners, delivering a local project in Tower Hamlets harnessing the power of play to promote children’s wellbeing and develop social and emotional skills
Co-op created a dedicated early childhood fund through its unique apprentice levy share service, Co-op Levy Share. With Taskforce funding, it has already supported more than 130 early years apprentices, as part of its commitment to raise £5 million over the next 5 years to create more than 600 apprenticeships.
Deloitte has funded more than 1300 early years teachers to undertake Teach First leadership qualifications and have changed its parental policies to give all parents 26 weeks full pay.
IKEA has partnered with local baby banks to ensure families have the essentials they need and launched a product range which raised money for the Baby Bank Alliance.
NatWest has increased its lending capacity for early years settings and produced tools to support nurseries to operate in a more sustainable way.
Iceland has rolled out its ’emoji posters’ across all UK stores and helped 30,000 staff better support young families. They have also launched a range of toddler meals with Mumsnet, which raise money for Alder Hey Hospital and aim to support healthy eating.
These projects combined have a potential reach of more than half a million babies and young children.
Looking ahead, taskforce members have committed to building on this to extend their impact to even more families with babies and young children.
Co-op is developing assets, inspired by the Shaping Us Framework, for its six million members, to help support parents and carers understand the importance of social and emotional development and how to nurture it in their children.
NatWest has already increased lending for early years providers to £100million and has now pledged to go even further, extending the target lending to £250m. This means that many more early years settings, who currently find it difficult to access the financial support they need, will now be able to do so, alongside tailored guidance and support to navigate the challenges they face and to seize growth opportunities.
Aviva will shortly be making publicly available a series of short films, which they have created for their 26,000 employees, aimed at helping both managers and new parents to feel more confident and supported in the workplace.
As well as continuing with their own projects, the Taskforce plays an important leadership role in inspiring other businesses to consider how they too could play a role.
Since the report’s publication, members have hosted roundtables with businesses around the UK, with more planned in the coming months. The report has also been showcased on the international stage and the global early years sector have welcomed the leadership provided by the Taskforce.
Businesses will now be able to build their own action plans and get more information about how they can have maximum impact. please visit : Build Your Action Plan
sometimes I feel like I’m waiting. I honestly don’t know what for. Or it’s like I’m standing in line and the more I look ahead of me the line seems to get longer and longer. When I look behind me I see that I’m not the last person. I want to leave. I should. I really should and soon I’ll have that chance but I’m so fucking afraid. Letting go of everything I know. I tell myself they need me. I need them! I need them so bad! Without them who am I? I feel so so lost. All while I’m holding a fucking map. I’m just painfully keeping my eyes shut. Never opening them, even if it means I’m about to walk off a ledge. I want so much for myself. I know I can do it. Every part of me wants to move into the forest and never be bothered again. I can be with me. I’m okay with being just with me. I’ll give up humanly desires if it means I won’t have to worry about the complications of relationships. I can work on my art. But It’s dangerous. If I do all of that I’ll become just like my father. Today I felt this gross feeling inside me when I walked outside. The idea that somebody inside their home or passing car could get a glimpse of me made me feel horrible. Judge me, watch me. I couldn’t help but feel this must be what he feels. The more I isolate, the more hate that leaks into my heart the more I become like him. And I’m so scared of him.
19.05.2025
Tender and vulnerable for nine months after her death. Grief has served me, nurtured me, protected me.
"The grief was gutting, like somebody put my nerves outside my skin and then cut each one, slowly. The only balm for the pain was to be with others who had been through something similar."
Emily Polk wrote an article on grief called "Telling The Bees" and the above extract hit me in the chest with such precision I had to open up a new post.
It's been three years since I have posted here.
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You can read the whole article here:
Bees have long been witness to human grief, carrying messages between the living and the dead. Finding solace in the company of bees, Emily