The Prince's Charities Community: People

The Prince of Wales

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is Heir to The British Throne. He was born at Buckingham Palace at 9.14pm on 14th November 1948.

Through the years, His Royal Highness developed a wide range of interests which are today reflected in 'The Prince's Charities', a group of 20 not-for-profit organisations of which The Prince of Wales is President. Eighteen of the 20 Charities were founded personally by The Prince.

The group is the largest multi-cause charitable enterprise in the United Kingdom, raising over £120 million annually.

The organisations are active across a broad range of areas including opportunity and enterprise, education, health, the built environment and responsible business and the natural environment.

These interests are also reflected in the list of around 360 organisations of which he has since become Patron or President.

The Prince's concerns about developments in fields such as architecture, the inner cities, education, religion, health and farming have been elaborated over many years in a large number of speeches and articles. Click here to read the Prince's speeches.

Click here to visit the official website of HRH The Prince of Wales.

Lilliam

I'm a happy person. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I love to dance, sing and have a good time.

Rina

Hi, I’m Rina, Specialist Physician of Internal Medicine, Bucharest, Romania. I have admired the work of HRH The Prince of Wales for two years. There is no question that history teaches everything, even the future. Most notably, the heaviest task of life is to learn what we already know. I think the work of The Prince of Wales and The Prince's Charities is extraordinary and extremely required, especially in architecture, education, religion, health and farming.

Gillian

I have lived near Dorchester in Dorset for three years and I currently work in Weymouth. I enjoy walking, especially by the sea, and I really enjoy photography.

Janet

I'm keen to find out more about the work of The Prince's Charities in Yorkshire and Scotland, and also arts projects nation-wide. The events run by The Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts and The Prince's Teaching Institute seem especially interesting too.

Wura Adewunmi

Hi, I am Wura and I volunteer as a Marketing Assistant for In Kind Direct. The initial appeal for being a part of the charity was learning about its work. Once I understood the dynamics and purpose of the charity I was really keen to stay.

In Kind Direct works all sides of the coin: it provides organisations with the simple option of giving away their surplus goods to charities by redistributing the goods on their behalf. As a result the manufactures and retailers benefit as they are able to fulfil their duties to society, the environment benefits in relation to reduced landfill and charities are able to fulfil the aims and objectives they set out to achieve while saving their resources.

In Kind Direct makes a significant difference to charities as the service being provided makes such an impact. So being able to participate really is not only an opportunity but a privilege.

Surya Nath Adhikari

Hello all! This is Mr. Surya Nath Adhikari from Nepal - the Agricultural Country full of Flora and Fauna, as well as the land of Everest. Firstly, I would like to introduce myself in detail: I am an Agriculturist having my own family farm. I am wishing to make my family farm fully organic first and then make the transition into a bio-dynamic organic farm.

I am a former International J1Exchange Visitor (Trainee) for Farm & Industry Short Course Graduate (One Year Certificate) from the University of Wisconsin -Madison, CALS, USA 2001-2002 batch. Presently, I am a Family Farmer and also a Managing Director of - Bio-dynamic Organic Farming & Sustainable Agriculture Service PVT Ltd.

I am also a Bio-dynamic Organic Farming Student and Trainee of Peter Proctor (the Pioneer of Modern Biodynamic Farming & Soil Scientist, the Author of the Biodynamic World Famous Book-“Grasp the Nettle” and the person on which the film “One Man, One Cow and One Planet” has been filmed) from New Zealand which was conducted at Bhaktivedanta Academy for Sustainable & Integrated Living (BASIL)/BDAI at ESCON Farm, Bangalore, India with David Hogg, another BD Expert on the Globe.

My main interest is to establish a Project/ Joint Venture Organic Exchange Program to educate and help Nepalese Farmers to go BD-ORGANIC. As well, I wish to establish an Organic Awareness (Educational) Institution by our Bilateral Venture/Efforts. And for this, we need to start both practical and theoretical awareness programs too.

Please do contact me at surya_nafisa@yahoo.com or bdorganic.agricultureservice@gmail.com for Biodynamic Organic Farming Exchange Programs in Nepal. Thank you Princes Charities for providing such a blog space among the friends of the world!

Adarsh Agrawal

I am Adarsh and I like to utilise my spare time with some voluntary activity useful in a way or other to the society. By profession I am a Systems and Business consultant in the Debt Collections & Recoveries domain with experience in Banking, Utilities and DCA. I am good with analysis and innovative solutions.

Teresa Albor

Hi, I'm Teresa and I'm the Chief Executive of The Prince’s Drawing School. While our main business is our Postgraduate Programme, I’m equally proud of our Public Programme for adults and our Young Artists Programme for deserving children aged 10 to 18 years old. We’ve expanded from our wonderful studios in Shoreditch to West London. You can now enrol online for Short Courses at Kensington Palace, starting at £100 for five weeks.

Hedvig Alexander

I joined Turquoise Mountain in the spring of 2007. With wide experience in business development in the developing world, I have worked in Afghanistan for the last five years.

I established Peace Dividend Trust, an NGO in Afghanistan that works with 2800 Afghan companies. Prior to this I worked for three years with the UN Development Programme.

Chris Allwood

Auction My Stuff is a social enterprise offering work placements to unemployed young people, using the proceeds of things sold on eBay. Business in the Community’s ProHelp programme (a network of professional firms providing free advice and professional support to local communities) was crucial to our successful start-up.

With only the idea in 2005, Business in the Community suggested we approach local company Tate & Lyle about some office space, who were immediately keen and supportive. Aware that a strong brand would be crucial to our success, through ProHelp we managed to secure the pro bono services of top brand creators “Corporate Edge” and fantastic PR firm “Mantra PR”.

Corporate Edge quickly understood our objectives, and initiated a full scale 17-week branding project, which included devising the name “Auction My Stuff”, designing our fabulous logo and creating all the marketing material. Mantra PR then advised and helped us with our celebrity auction launch, acquiring such gems as Hugh Grant and Colin Firth’s wetsuits and David Cameron’s bicycle pump! This led to great coverage, with mentions in the Sun, The Times, and the London Paper. The Prince of Wales even donated a signed copy of his book on the gardens at Highgrove.

As a result we’ve now been able to offer more than 50 structured work placements to unemployed young people. Through their hard work they’ve gained skills, experience and above all confidence, with more than half of them contacting us after they’ve left to tell us they now have a job or are in training.

Business in the Community’s advice and support was crucial to launching Auction My Stuff. At the launch, an independent due diligence of the venture valued the support at over £80,000! Now in my role as a Social Enterprise Ambassador, I’m working on a way for other social enterprises to access this critical and valuable resource.

Patricia Araneta

My name is Patricia and I am the Development manager at The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts. Outreach work at the School flows naturally from what is learned and developed in our studio and workshops.

The School’s ethos and objectives emphasise the continuity of traditional arts of the great civilisations of the world and the renewal of the universal principles that are shared by all people as one family of humanity.

In our community education and outreach work we are able to touch the hearts of many craftsmen and women, artists, architects, students, teachers, designers and professionals to ask themselves what their role is in keeping their cultural heritage alive.

Through a combination of the teaching of principles which are reflected in the beauty of nature, and how they apply to craft work, each individual’s sense of their cultural identity is reinforced. They gain an understanding of the patterns they see in their environment and how these can be applied in their craft. Moreover, they are inspired by their discovery of the principles of design and are able to develop a sense of confidence that helps them to make further progress with their work.

The Prince’s School’s Outreach and Community Education programme is multi-dimensional. It addresses the individual’s need for affirmation of identity; reinforces sense of community and evokes pride in cultural heritage; responds to the need for skills development in the context of creating products of a high standard of quality; builds individual and group confidence to consistently produce excellent work; and in general, raises aspirations and contributes to a sense of well-being, on personal, social and economic levels.

Thomas Ardern-Mulhern

Hello I'm Thomas, one of the Year Seven pupils who took part in the theatre project, TheatreQuest. It was a really good experience.

Firstly-going to see Dr Dolittle in Bromley was great - so was meeting the actors afterwards and finding out how the animal costumes worked. Sometimes not all how you would expect e.g. the Pushmi-Pullyou !

I really enjoyed taking part in the performance of ‘A Singer From the Desert Came’ in Winlaton Hall for our families and friends. We then performed the first scene in Lewisham Shopping Centre for the public which was very different and challenging.

But my favourite experience of the project had to be meeting The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall at the Unicorn Theatre.

I am very pleased to have taken part in this project and would like to thank everyone for giving me this opportunity.

Khaled Azzam

My name is Khaled and I am the Chief Executive of The Prince’s School for Traditional Arts. The work of the School represents more than just an education for the eyes, hands and mind: it has an impact on the soul through an objective understanding of the full meaning of art. Traditional art requires a totally different appreciation from that of modern art, one that is not centred on art as the work of an individual artist, but on the artist’s particular expression of a universal principle.

Yogan Badal

Director of SMB - badaltmc ; twice married with 3 kids , Ana, aged 10 , Mathis, aged 2, and Emma, aged 8 months. Licensed Professional Engineer of Ontario (Canada) and currently living with my family in France with frequent business trips to the UK.

Lisa Ball

I'm Lisa Ball. I volunteered for a lay member job advertised by The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health. They called for people to participate in a working group to establish the framework for regulating the complementary healthcare field. I got involved firstly because of my keen interest in complementary healthcare and secondly because of my experience of regulation.

The main benefit for me has been meeting interesting people and having an opportunity to work with others in a unique way that is external to my day-to-day work. I think the organisation has bold aims and is striving to raise consciousness, tackle issues that are difficult and produce workable solutions that will have lasting benefits.

It's been a privilege to work alongside such committed and sincere people. The work takes time and effort and can be frustrating and hard to manage sometimes, but overall there is a great deal to be gained from contributing, with others, to new and evolving projects.”

Samantha Barber

Hi, I’m Samantha, Chief Executive of Scottish Business in the Community – “SBC” for short! We’re Scotland’s leading voice on responsible business practice and we’re growing from strength to strength every year.

My career began working in the European Parliament for nearly four years as a policy advisor on the Economics and Monetary Affairs Committee. When I returned to Scotland in January 1998, I took up the post of Director of Business for Scotland before joining SBC in 2000.

SBC has come a long way since it began in October 1982 – our emphasis now is on a broader remit of responsible business practice where we support, broker and challenge our member companies to improve their impact on society and the environment.

As Chief Executive of this fantastic organisation, I am constantly surprised by the willingness of Scottish business leaders to challenge, share and inspire in areas that are crucial to the economic and social well-being of Scotland. I have a passionate belief in the power of corporate responsibility to bring about positive change to this country.

David Barnes

My name is David and I studied for an M.A. at The Prince’s School For Traditional Arts. The quality and knowledge behind all teaching at the School has been truly inspirational and has impressed on me the idea that all great works of art come from the same place within each craftsman, and that across cultures, time and traditions there is an intimate unity which remains universal to those who look at such works of art.

In going back to first principles (from the alchemy of making pigments to the fundamental forms of the Platonic solids) a holistic and more complete view of art and craft has been allowed to develop in my mind. Like all good education, the M.A. programme has taken me to place and ideas that I hadn’t imagined before.

Peter Bennie

Hi, I'm Peter, PRIME’s Director of Operations.

I’m 50 myself this year, and during the five years I’ve been with PRIME, I’ve witnessed the incredible difficulties people can face trying to get back into work when they are past the age many employers unthinkingly look for.

I’ve also seen the frustrations of people who want to satisfy a life-long ambition to work for themselves - but who don’t know where to start, or lack the confidence to make the break from their employer even if they can see no long-term future with them.

Did you know that statistically, if you set up a business when you’re over 50, you have a four times greater chance of it surviving beyond five years than someone in their twenties? That’s down to the life experience, maturity and stronger inclination to research and plan that older people typically bring to new projects.

Our population is getting older, and with it comes a need for greater numbers of older people to remain in the workforce. For around one in five people over 50, self-employment is already how they are achieving that.

There’s a lot of help around to get you started and find your way through the regulations, tax matters and all the technical challenges of marketing plans, cashflows, and the like. PRIME is here to help you on that journey, and to also show you where other good free and low-cost support can be found, because it’s not always very apparent.

I love the job that I do, because it helps people achieve things they often wouldn’t believe possible. And the greatest satisfaction? That comes from making it possible for someone to rise from the depths of despair to doing something that gives their life meaning and purpose again.

Emma Blanksby

My name is Emma and I'm a Project Manager at The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts. I manage our national projects, known as Quests, which provide children with an introduction to one art form over one or two school terms. To choose a favourite would be difficult but I particularly enjoyed my most recent project, TheatreQuest, which introduced secondary school children to theatre. We worked with some really inspirational teachers and unearthed some fantastic talent amongst pupils.

When I was a child I was lucky enough to be taken to see and do lots of things by my parents and schools and am so pleased that I can be part of offering those opportunities to children who would not otherwise have them.

Last year I also organised our inaugural carol concert. We met some wonderful people and raised the charity's profile along with much needed funds. Tickets sold out very fast last year so make sure you secure yours early this year!

Robin Boles

I’m Robin Boles, Chief Executive of In Kind Direct. I started In Kind Direct twelve years ago at the request of The Prince of Wales to create a flow of new surplus goods to charities.

As an American born tax lawyer I started my career in the financial services sector, latterly as Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Operations at what used to be called The Investors Compensation Scheme, the official rescue fund for defrauded investors.

As Chief Executive, in addition to overseeing all our operations, I convince donor companies who manufacture or sell the goods our charity partners need to work with us. In Kind Direct enables companies to fulfil their corporate responsibility and environmental goals, and we provide a single point of contact for redistribution of their surplus products.

A portion of my time is also spent raising the funds needed to do our work which can be challenging since In Kind Direct is not perceived to be a ‘heart-string’ charity. I explain how we fill a crucial role by providing the goods charities need in their operations or to give to their clients. Through them we help millions of people in need at home and abroad every year.

I am married to a Scottish chiropractor and we have two daughters who I enjoy spending time with when I’m not at In Kind Direct.

Roisin Bradley

Hi, I'm Roisin. I look after PRIME's operations in Northern Ireland.

Coming from a self-employed background myself, I can easily understand the fears people have when first starting their own business and the risks and challenges they have to confront. But self-employment is a flexible thing, and can help a whole range of people in the 50-plus age group. It can be anything from a part-time money-making idea to the most innovative project in the world.

After starting in East and North Belfast, Rathcoole and Shankill, PRIME has now branched out to cover all of Greater Belfast. We are offering people a range of free workshops and one-to-one mentoring, as well as literature and referrals.

PRIME doesn't seek to compete with other sources of affordable business advice. Instead we make a point of finding out what's available and putting people in contact with it if it's good. For example we work closely with Invest Northern Ireland, which does offer small businesses some useful assistance.

Generally all people need to get them started is see that it can be done – a few good examples in a community can spark a wave of activity as others come to believe that the self-employment route is open to them. Gaps in knowledge are not the problem – they can easily be filled. It's the courage to give it a go that counts.

Jean Brittingham

My name is Jean Brittingham and I have been involved with the Business and the Environment Programme for over five years as faculty to the US Seminars. I recently took on a full-time role as the Director in North America.

When I attended the BEP in 2001 it was just a few weeks after the September 11th terrorist attacks and the United States was still in shock. The BEP seminar put into stark relief how systems pressures, false economics and post-industrial consumerism were draining not only our eco-systems and the services they provide, but also critically straining the fabric of our societies. A strong participant in environmental stewardship since my childhood in Oregon during the Tom McCall years, I found myself newly enlisted as a corporate sustainability activist!!

During my years as a senior manager at CH2M Hill, I had the opportunity to work to integrate sustainability into the fabric of their project delivery approach and worked to make sustainability measures as acceptable and “normal” to clients as the quality management processes they have come to value. I’ve also had many opportunities to work with great clients on infrastructure programs where we could integrate sustainability into the values framework for deciding when and what to build, or not build!

My other passion is empowering young women to actualize their full potential. I am creating a Web 2.0 mentoring and lending site to encourage and support women entrepreneurs in the developed world as a response to the continuing loss of the value of women’s creativity in our most “advanced” societies.

I’m just learning to ski (I live in Utah) and am further motivated to arrest global warming so we can save the snow!!

Nick Brown

I joined The Prince’s Regeneration Trust as its Northern Ireland based Projects Advisor in August 2008. My previous appointment was as Project Manager for the Walled City Partnership, implementing a five-year heritage-led regeneration programme in Derry/Londonderry (the Maiden City) through the Heritage Lottery funded Townscape Heritage Initiative. The experience gained will undoubtedly help me in my new role with the Trust.

I am very much looking forward to working with local communities and groups not just here in Northern Ireland but across the whole of the United Kingdom. I will enjoy the challenge of finding new and sustainable uses, such as homes, workshops and community facilities, for a diverse range of historic buildings at risk, all for the long-term benefit of local communities.

Outside the work for the Trust, I am the Northern Ireland Branch Chairman of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, an active member of the local rural preservation group and enjoy exploring the beautiful and varied countryside, come rain or more rain!

Edward Butler-Ellis

Councillor of the Borough of Milton Keynes. Interested in a wide range of charity projects which enable a wide range of communities to interact with the wider world and to enhance the quality of life for many of our people.

Ian Cambray-Smith

I'm responsible for the conversation between The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health and all healthcare professionals. I have particularly enjoyed our work on facilitating the regulation of the most popular complementary healthcare professions. Regulation sounds pretty boring but it is important. In the UK, orthodox medicine is statutorily regulated, which means that no-one can claim to be a doctor or nurse without having passed stringent examinations. The picture for complementary medicine is much more mixed - while chiropractors and osteopaths are statutorily regulated, many other therapies are not. This makes it hard for the public to distinguish between an experienced, responsible practitioner and someone who has little training.

Now a new regulator is in place, the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council, and complementary therapists will begin joining in 2008. The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health played a big part in this achievement.

Tania Carlisle

I’ve been with Arts & Business for seven years, with a constantly developing remit, and currently I have two favourite roles. Firstly, creating professional development programmes for artists, arts organisations and creative industries - I get real satisfaction from helping someone develop their business and drive their career forward.

Secondly I love working with business to find innovative and challenging ways to engage with the arts, for example acting as consultant on an Irish Portrait Award, commissioning original art for an office, or organising arts-based training activities. It’s a cliché, but no two days are ever the same!

Liz Child

I moved to rural Ceredigion primarily for lifestyle reasons in 2001, initially working with people with mental health problems as part of a project based in Lampeter which offered therapy through craft tuition and workshops.

With my lifelong interest in forestry I was looking for a way to generate a self-employed income from this interest. I was lucky enough to find a tutor to teach me the art of ‘bodging’ which essentially sowed the seed of my business venture ‘Natural Chairs’.

The old woodland management skills of the artisan coppicer/furniture maker have only been gone for 75 years, and Natural Chairs works towards local examples of that heritage being restored in Wales. I use traditional hand-crafting methods with pole-lathe, shave-horse and traditional hand tools.

It is my ethos to practice minimal environmental impact and sustainablity, and demonstrate that contemporary styles can be achieved using traditional methods. I take commissions for making original pieces of furniture.

Prime Cymru was enthusiastic about my business idea and were able to help me in the setting up of my business. They also assisted me with seeking part-time employment to help me financially until my business took off. They directed me towards a vacancy with Hafal, an organisation in Ceredigion who support people with mental health problems into independent living.

Priya Chohan

Hi, I’m Priya and I am the receptionist for the three charities based in the beautiful space at Charlotte Road. That’s The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, The Prince’s Drawing School and The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts. I feel fortunate to be in this rare position where I have the opportunity to know everyone in the building and to see what each of the individual charities do. I have only been here a short while, but the first thing that struck me is that everyone is genuinely nice and across all the charities, everyone loves working here and always seems to be really enthusiastic about their projects. With the new gallery space, there are always exciting events going on, from conferences to artist talks and films to exhibitions. As an artist and a person who is concerned by environmental issues, this is a great place to be, where people actually want to tackle difficult problems and make an impact.

Cinnamon Coe

Hello, I’m Cinnamon! I recently left my role as Assistant Director of Development to The Prince’s Charities to relocate to New York.

There is always something new and exciting developing within this group of charities and so many different ways for people to be involved with the variety of work going on. I very much look forward to keeping abreast with developments within charities from the US and will always remain a huge supporter of the work.

Gemma Colbert

During my time at The Trust my job has taken me to many weird and wonderful corners of the UK. I most enjoy meeting local community groups, their energy and enthusiasm for their treasured buildings is inspiring. I’m lucky to be part of a team that works to save some fantastic places such as the lofty and atmospheric spaces of Bass Maltings, the lost world of an industrialist’s play palace at Kinloch, or even the downright eerie corridors and courtyards of the North Wales Hospital. Historic buildings are integral to the fabric of our communities and a valuable legacy for future generations.

Alison Coleman

I am a keen learner of Welsh. I sing in the band 'On Yer Feet' and I like to garden and knit socks.

Tagg Coley

London is an amalgam of culture, people and history. That is why I decided to pack up and spend a year here as a student with my University. As a native of Florida, maybe the biggest challenge as of yet has been not wearing sandals and shorts on a daily basis and translating English to....English! I think it is imperative for students to have mobility to broaden their horizons and education. I came to England and the UK thinking I was prepared for life here - I read the books, studied the history and culture, and while doing that helped - the real experience began when I stepped off the plane at Gatwick. I support the Prince's Charities because It give back in so many ways. The work with youths and young adults, and helping them through initiatives such as the Youth Business and the various eduacational trusts, makes it possible for disaffected youths throughout Britain to reach their potential goals. I am very fortunate to be able to live and learn in another country and The Prince's Charities allow those less fortunate than myself and others to achieve the same if not better.

Paul Conway

My career in the meat trade began when I was 14 years old, working at the shop that I now own. I worked for a few years after school and during holidays before taking on a full apprenticeship. I then left to manage other butchers shop but got to the stage in my career when I wanted to run my own shop, but thought it was impossible due to the large capital outlay on equipment and sourcing suitable premises.

A year or two later, I noticed that my local butchers shop where I had trained, had closed down. I decided to contact the landlord which resulted in me signing a lease agreement. I then decided to approach The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust for a loan to buy new equipment and buy the shop. I had been turned down for a loan by other financial institutions because of some previous debt that I had, so I wasn’t hopeful about securing the funding. However, PSYBT recognised my determination and drive to succeed with my idea and warded me a loan and the help I needed to get my business off the ground.

Since then I’ve gone on to open 2 other shops and a bakery and my meat processing unit. I also employ 22 staff and offer a full range of quality meats and some of my own in-house specialities, such as Paul’s Hell Fire Sausages. In addition to this, I’ve introduced Weight Watchers points on some of my meats at the recommendation of a customer who runs local classes and in the increase in people interested in healthy eating. Other accolades I have received are PSYBT & RBS Awards Winner 2004, Determined to Succeed 2006, PSYBT Growth Fund Award and Scottish Butcher of the Year 2008.

I can’t thank PSYBT enough for believing in me and providing me with the opportunity when others were not interested. I am lucky enough to have a great business mentor, David McCutcheon, who acts as a sounding board and offers advice for my current business dilemmas and future ambitions.

Polly Courtice

When I look back over the 15 years since The Prince of Wales asked Cambridge University to set up this programme for senior business leaders I have really quite mixed reactions. On the one hand I am troubled by how little progress we seem to have made in tackling some of the great challenges we face in the world, and the leadership from our politicians and corporations falls desperately short of delivering the transformational change we need. But what still leaves me with some real optimism is the experience of working with individual leaders who attend the Business & the Environment Programme seminars around the world.

It is clear that many people really do recognise the need to change they way we live on this planet – that ‘business as usual’ simply cannot persist. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is about the seminars, but they certainly seem to have the effect of inspiring people and giving them a sense of what is possible if people can work together.

I often find myself reflecting on the quote attributed to the anthropologist Margaret Mead: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

Mark Cox

I work voluntarily for two primary schools in challenging areas of Nottingham and am soon to commence teacher training with a view to working in our inner city. My partner works for Business in the Community. We are both avid supporters of The Prince's Charities.

Rita Cummings

Development Director, Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Point Reyes, California USA. Preserving farmland for future generations.

Hugh Davies

My name is Hugh. I am 59 years of age and live in the beautiful Parish of Myddfai in Carmarthenshire, South West Wales. I have spent most of my professional career working in education and the arts and have held a variety of management and senior posts in, careers education, personal development, and the arts, culminating in Director of an Arts Centre in a Specialist College for the Arts. I hold a degree in Education and a qualification in Coaching and Mentoring.

Since retiring in 2004 I have found it necessary get involved in a variety of things to keep active and continue making a contribution. I now work as a consultant in education and the arts, am on the list of National Advisers for the Arts Council of Wales, Chairman of a re-development project in Myddfai and, since 2007, Coordinator of the PRIME-Cymru Volunteer Mentor Scheme.

The Volunteer Mentor Scheme recruits and trains mature professional mentors to provide guidance and support to people of 50 and over who are seeking to become economically active and make a positive change in their lives. The PRIME team are an innovative and dedicated group who are a pleasure to work with. Mentors are inspirational in the time and commitment they put in on behalf of their clients completely free of charge. I thoroughly enjoy starting a project from the ground up and look forward to building teams of mentors across Wales who share their experience to make a difference for others.

Yalda Davis

I have been working for The Prince’s Rainforests Project in its Communications team since May this year.

The best part of my job is that I get to be involved in so many different things, from organising events and competitions to maintaining our websites and developing educational materials for schools, but this is also the most challenging part as I have to keep on top of lots of different projects at once!

Outside of the office I enjoy playing the cello, cycling, pottery and my pet rats!

Pierre de Wet

My main role at Business in the Community is to help implement systems that solve particular challenges while ensuring that they remain in keeping with the overall business strategy. The passion and commitment of the staff running the campaigns means that my job is always exciting and I am always learning more about what Business in the Community is about. I feel it's really worthwhile to be working for an organisation that has so much impact across so many areas, and to feel that my contribution and that of my team and my towards that goal is part of what makes it successful.

Jonathan Denby

I love playing my part in Arts and Business because I've seen the real difference it can make to the cultural landscape of the region and more simply to people's day-to-day lives. As Regional Chair of the Arts and Business East Advisory Council I've witnessed clear examples of events which have benefited individuals and communities that without business support would not have happened. Working at National Express East Anglia (and previous train operators) I've also been more directly involved with initiatives which have brought music or the visual arts to a wider audience. The arts have the power to inspire, to educate and to bring people together. Whether it be concerts at small venues, creative arts-based training, developing new business opportunities or putting an unusual artistic livery on a train, it all makes our region a more enjoyable, prosperous and sustainable place to be - and that's a goal worth achieving!

Andrew Devenport

The Prince’s Youth Business International (YBI) is the network organisation for 38 organisations around the world, including The Prince’s Trust and The Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust, that help young entrepreneurs who need the help to start-up sustainable businesses. I joined YBI as its Executive Director in 2005 when it was a programme of The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum. YBI’s purpose is to grow the network providing each of its member organisations all the synergies and strengths of belonging to a network. YBI itself is growing and in 2008 became an independent institution and the 20th of The Prince’s Charities.

Prior to YBI I worked in the finance industry, including 17 years with the investment bank Goldman Sachs, the last eight being as a Managing Director. I have always had a strong interest in economic development and young people and run a school charity in Kenya.

Jo Dibb

Our work with Business in the Community has had so many positive benefits for the girls at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School. The first Seeing is Believing visit we hosted saw the Rebranding Group present their work to our visitors who were so impressed.

As a result, the girls received coaching in presentation skills from one company which they used in their speech to celebrate the end of the Women into Leadership course. They were also asked to present at a Conference for Headteachers on “Marketing Your School”.

These opportunities have made a real difference to the girls’ confidence and helped them to gain the skills which will be vital if they are to compete on an equal footing with girls from more privileged backgrounds.

Thanks to Business in the community we now have a number of MOSAIC (the Muslim mentoring network) mentors working with the girls. It is early days but initial feedback is very positive. We are absolutely convinced that the links and the support brokered through Business in the Community will enhance the futures of our students.

Hank Dittmar

As Chief Executive I have the pleasure of representing the work of The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, both here in the UK and ever increasingly overseas, with project partners, industry, government and communities.

The Foundation’s dynamic work programme extends from regenerating deprived communities in the heart of Jamaica’s Rose Town, to working with research bodies to investigate the value of sustainable urbanism, and on to training young men and woman in the specialties of traditional building craft. The built environment, communities’ role in the shaping of it and its impact on climate change is something I have always been passionate about.

Our Enquiry by Design (EbD) workshops invite local stakeholders – councils, business owners, community organisations, health providers etc – to work with us to create the designs for new towns, town extensions and regeneration projects. Everyone has the opportunity to pick up a pen and draw their vision for the place being considered. Seeing the transformation of people’s confidence in participating in design, from the beginning of the week-long workshop to the end, is invigorating.

The Foundation partners regularly with other Prince’s Charities, such as with BITC for the Burnley EbD, PSYBT at the Cumnock EbD or PRT for the recent New Buildings in Old Places conference. I want to invite you to learn more about us by visiting our website at www.princes-foundation.org, joining us at conferences and seminars or calling in to our Shoreditch office when you’re in the neighbourhood.

Justin Douglas

I am a management consultant at IBM Global Business Services. My leisure interests include landscape photography and I have a particular passion for environmental matters. I think the work of the Prince of Wales and The Prince's Charities is fantastic and absolutely needed.

Debra Drew

I have two grown daughters and a 12 year old grandson. I have been blessed with my life and would like to give back to the community. I admire The Prince of Wales for his accomplishments and his compassion for the people of the United Kingdom. He is a caring person and a wonderful example to his people.

Clara Drummond

My name is Clara and I manage the Postgraduate Programme at The Prince's Drawing School. I work part-time and when I am not at the school I work as a painter. The postgraduate programme is an amazing opportunity for any artist, as it offers a whole year of intense drawing with all fees paid and a studio space.

As an alumni of the course I like to try to help students get the most out of the year, as I know from experience how fast the year flies by. There is always so much going on at the school but my favourite part is organizing artists to come and speak and to give the students tutorials, the highlight was when Frank Auerbach came to talk to a room packed with 60 or so students and alumni in a one off interview with William Feaver.

As an artist, the School has been a great support and source of inspiration for me.

Alison Duguid

Hello, I’m Alison and since September 2008 I have been looking after The Prince’s Charities Community website. One of the most enjoyable elements of my role is liaising with all of our charities, and being able to share their news and stories with our visitors and members.

My background includes time spent developing the Millennium Commission’s ‘Millennium Awards Fellowship’ community website, helping community volunteers and social entrepreneurs to network and share their skills and experience. It is exciting to now be a part of The Prince’s Charities Community where we can recognise, celebrate and support The Prince’s Charities, and their beneficiaries’ work and achievements.

Sarah Elliott

Hello, I'm Sarah and I joined The Prince's Charities office in November 2008 as Head of Development. My role here involves supporting the charities by developing fundraising strategies and organising events.

Maximilian Faller

Banker from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA. Have admired HRH's initiatives for 25 years.