As the Princess of Wales prepares to launch her early years campaign on Tuesday, she said “it is more important than ever” to support the development of young children.
The long-term Shaping Us campaign aims to improve society’s understanding of the importance of early childhood in shaping adulthood and society as a whole.
The project, launched by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, is said to be Kate’s “life’s work”, which she hopes will influence attitudes towards children in the early years of their lives.
At an event staged on the eve of the project’s launch, Kate spoke about the “critical importance” of the first five years of a child’s life and its influence on their future.
The Princess of Wales was joined by husband Prince William and a host of celebrity supporters at the evening event staged at Bafta’s London headquarters.
“The campaign is fundamentally about shining a spotlight on the critical importance of early childhood and how it shapes the adults we become,” she said.
“During this time we lay the foundations and building blocks for life. And it is when we learn to understand ourselves, understand others and understand the world in which we live.
Kate, Princess of Wales, tours maternity unit in UK - in pictures
“This is why it is essential, to not only understand the unique importance of our earliest years, but to know what we can all do to help raise future generations of happy, healthy adults.
“And of course, by understanding our own childhoods — what has shaped our own beliefs, relationships, behaviours and feelings — we, as adults, are better placed to play our part in positively shaping future generations."
A 90-second claymation film has also been released, depicting how the development of a young girl from the age of zero to five is shaped by interactions and her environment. It will be shown in cinemas from Friday.
Prince William and Kate on Caribbean tour – in pictures
The campaign has the support of a number of notable faces, including rapper Prof Green, Fearne Cotton, Giovanni Fletcher, Zara McDermott and Leah Williamson.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said the importance of early years development will be “key focus” for Kate for the “rest of her life”.
“We’ve been raising awareness of the extraordinary impact of the early years and highlighting the need to increase societal understanding of the transformative impact of early childhood," said Amanda Berry, who leads the Royal Foundation.
Prince William and wife Kate make first visit to Wales since receiving their new titles - video
“Our first public perception survey in 2022 found that less than one in five people understood the unique importance of the first five years of our lives, and within that the figures for young people and men were even lower.
“As part of this campaign, we are publishing more in-depth research, which shows that around one in three, 36 per cent of adults report knowing just a little or nothing about how children develop in their early childhood.
“So, in response, we will be aiming to increase in those awareness figures significantly.”
Eamon McCrory, professor of developmental neuroscience and psychopathology at University College London, said: “By ensuring children and parents are supported during this critical period we, as individuals and a society, can positively influence the lives of the next generation for decades to come.”
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Defending champions
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Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
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UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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Euro 2020 qualifier
Russia v Scotland, Thursday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
