The Duchess of Cambridge ditched the wellies and anorak she wore for her morning visit to Ark Open Farm near Belfast this morning, for an apron, as she moved onto Social Bite cafe in Aberdeen this afternoon.
Kate Middleton, 38, who is known as the Countess of Strathearn while in Scotland, is speaking to patrons as part of her tour of the UK to promote her landmark survey on the early years, looking at parents’ experiences with young children.
The mother-of-three looked stylish in a baby blue poloneck jumper, black skinny jeans and heeled boots as she joined the cook in the cafe’s kitchen to help prepare food for the homeless.
The visit was the final leg of the tour of the four nations, to promote the landmark survey on the early years, ‘5 Big Questions on the Under-Fives’ conducted by Ipsos MORI.
The Duchess of Cambridge ditched the wellies and anorak she wore for her morning visit to Ark Open Farm near Belfast this morning, for an apron, as she moved onto Social Bite cafe in Aberdeen this afternoon
Wearing her hair in loose curls and sporting gold drop leaf earrings, Kte was pictured meeting locals to talk about her survey.
The Duchess is meeting with employees, supported volunteers and customers who have experienced homelessness, to hear how experiences in the early years of life can have a significant effect on lifelong outcomes.
Following visits in England and Wales last month, Kate today took the survey to Northern Ireland and Scotland where she heard from local people about how experiences in the early years can have a significant impact on later life.
The final day of the Duchess’ nationwide tour comes as the number of responses to her survey reached 200,000, making it the biggest ever survey of its kind conducted in the UK, with nine days to go before it closes on 21st February.
Kate Middleton, 38, who is known as the Countess of Strathearn while in Scotland, is speaking to patrons as part of her tour of the UK to promote her landmark survey on the early years, ‘5 Big Questions on the Under-Fives’
The mother-of-three looked stylish in a baby blue poloneck jumper, black skinny jeans and heeled boots as she joined the cook in the cafe’s kitchen to help prepare food for the locals
The Duchess of Cambridge said: ‘Over the last eight years I’ve had the privilege of meeting people from all walks of life, facing all sorts of challenges. What has struck me most is that so often the challenges people face in later life, whether mental health, homelessness or family breakdown – can so often be traced back to experiences in their earliest years.
‘It prompted me to delve deeper into the early years landscape and learn more from the experts, the scientists and the amazing people providing services on the ground. But now is the time to get the views from everyone in society.
‘I wanted to hear directly from people across the UK and it’s great to have been able to talk to people in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and across England about their experiences. I want to thank the 200,000 people who have filled it out because each and every response will help show us what society really thinks about raising the next generation. I am excited to hear from even more people before it closes on 21st February.’
Wearing her hair in loose curls and sporting gold drop leaf earrings, Kte was pictured meeting locals to talk about her survey
The Duchess is meeting with employees, supported volunteers and customers who have experienced homelessness, to hear how experiences in the early years of life can have a significant effect on lifelong outcomes
This afternoon the Duchess visited the Ark Open Farm near Belfast and spoke to parents and grandparents from across the community about the themes covered in her survey, including the role that parents and society play in ensuring children have the best possible start in life.
The final stop on Her Royal Highness’ tour of the four nations was the Social Bite café in Aberdeen where she spoke with employees, volunteers and customers who have experienced homelessness about how early childhood experiences can have a lasting impact.
Social Bite runs social enterprise cafés across Scotland and distributes food and hot drinks to people experiencing homelessness. The organisation also employs staff who have experienced homelessness themselves.
Conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of The Royal Foundation, ‘5 Big questions on the Under-Fives’ aims to spark a national conversation on the early years that will ultimately help bring about positive, lasting change for generations to come.
The survey was launched on the 22nd January and follows eight years of work by The Duchess. It is designed to bring together the thoughts of as many people as possible – recognising that everyone has a role in ensuring strong, healthy foundations for the youngest in our society that will positively affect their lifelong outcomes.
The visit was the final leg of the tour of the four nations, to promote the landmark survey on the early years, ‘5 Big Questions on the Under-Fives’ conducted by Ipsos MORI
The findings should provide a vital source of information for the early years sector, helping it to better understand public perceptions of the importance of the early years, and the first-hand experiences of parents, families and carers.
This public feedback will also help to focus Her Royal Highness’ work through The Royal Foundation as she endeavours to provide children across the UK with the best foundations to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
To promote the survey, The Duchess visited MiniBrum at Birmingham Science Museum on 21st January and both Ely and Careau Children’s Centre in Cardiff and HMP Send in Woking on 22nd January. She also visited LEYF Nursery in Southwark on 29th January.
The Duchess of Cambridge cut a casual figure as she arrived at Ark Open Farm near Belfast this morning, as part of her tour of the UK to promote her landmark survey on the early years, ‘5 Big Questions on the Under-Fives’