A statement from Amanda Cunningham, CEO, ahead of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III
Tomorrow morning, crowds will gather in London to witness the coronation of a King. For almost all of us, a coronation is something that we have never witnessed before. For many of us, it will likely seem distant or remote, disconnected from our day to day lives and experiences. When we are all so mindful of the cost of living crisis, the pomp and splendour on display in London may feel unusual.
I am struck by the fact that the first person to speak at the Coronation will be a young person. A young person who will welcome and greet the King. It is a fitting reminder of the importance of young people to His Majesty the King, who, as Prince of Wales, founded and then led The Prince’s Trust for almost 50 years, providing support to more than 1 million young people across the UK. Alongside my fellow Geordies, Ant and Dec, a number of young people who have benefitted from this work will be in attendance. So, in this unusual ceremony, I hope that our young people can feel inspired knowing that, amongst royals and dignitaries, are people with very different backgrounds who have faced all sorts of challenges in their lives.
The King will promise that he comes not to be served, but to serve. Indeed, the theme of the Coronation ceremony is “called to serve”. And it’s on that note that I want to thank our employees for their service and for the dedication that they bring in serving our young people, upholding our values, and being the driving force behind our mission “Young Lives, Bright Futures”.
Up and down the country, families and friends will gather together to watch the Coronation, to mark the occasion, and to celebrate. Across all of our schools, homes and supported accommodation settings, I hope that we can find ways to provide our young people with similar opportunities to help them to form happy memories of what is undoubtedly a historic occasion in the life of our nation.
Wherever you are, whoever you’re with, and whatever you’re doing, I hope that you have a lovely and memorable bank holiday weekend.
Best wishes,
Amanda Cunningham
Chief Executive Officer
