The Duchess of Cambridge to Host Gala Dinner for Place2Be’s 25th Anniversary

The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of Place2Be, will host a gala dinner at Buckingham Palace in celebration of Place2Be’s 25th anniversary. Set up in 1994 by Dame Benny Refson DBE, Place2Be provides emotional support at an early age and believes that no child should face mental health difficulties alone. Over the past 25 years, more than 250,000 children and their families have been directly supported by Place2Be, which currently works with 639 schools across the UK.

Since her patronage began in 2013, the Duchess has met pupils, families and staff at Place2Be partner schools to see the vital work being done by the charity. Place2Be have also collaborated with The Royal Foundation on a number of projects: they are a charity partner for the Heads Together Campaign and Mentally Healthy Schools website, in addition to working with Shout – a free, 24/7 text service for anyone in crisis which was launched nationally in 2019.

Children’s mental health has long been a priority for The Duchess. Over the last eight years she has explored how experiences in early childhood often lie at the root of the hardest social challenges the country faces today. What we experience in the earliest years – from in the womb to the age of five – is instrumental in shaping our future lives. Last month the Duchess launched the survey ‘5 Big Questions on the Under-Fives’, which aimed to spark the biggest ever conversation on early childhood that will ultimately help bring about positive, lasting change for generations to come.

The Duchess of Cambridge will meet two school choirs who will be performing at the event, and Place2Be supporters, before giving a speech.