On His Majesty’s Service: Norwood granted patronage by King Charles
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, World Jewish Relief and JLGB also retain their royal patronage
One of the Jewish community’s most prominent charities has announced His Majesty King Charles III as its Royal Patron.
The news for Norwood, the organisation supporting people with learning disabilities and autism, is a continuation of its rich tradition of royal patronage, which began with the Duke of Sussex Prince Augustus Frederick in 1815.
Most recently, HM Queen Elizabeth II upheld the precedent set by four former sovereigns, including her late father King George VI, of becoming Royal Patron of the charity previously known as The Jews’ Hospital and Orphan Asylum.
The Queen herself referred to her family’s historic connection to the charity in her correspondence, visits and words of encouragement with Norwood throughout her reign.
The charity’s chief executive officer Naomi Dickson said: “I am delighted and honoured that His Majesty has conferred his Patronage on Norwood. This is a sign of the respect in which he holds the charity, and of the importance of the vital service we provide to the community. We are very much looking forward, with excitement, to working with our new Royal Patron over the years to come.”
(L-R) Norwood Chief Executive Naomi Dickson, Journalist Suzanne Baum, Dame Gail Ronson DBE, Nicole Ronson Allalouf, Fundraising Consultant Nicky Jones, Norwood Honorary Life President Carol Sopher
Norwood’s Chair, Miles Webber said: “This announcement comes at a pivotal time for the organisation – with a new Chair and CEO in place, and at a point where we are reviewing our organisational values and strategy, we are delighted and humbled that His Majesty has honoured us with his Patronage. We look forward to enjoying his support as we move forward into our next chapter.”
Meanwhile, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT), World Jewish Relief, the Jewish community’s humanitarian agency and The Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade (JLGB) have all announced the King will remain their Patron.
HMDT Chief executive Olivia Marks-Woldman, recognised in the 2020 Queen’s birthday honours told Jewish News: “We are delighted and immensely grateful that His Majesty The King has agreed to remain our Patron, a position he has held since 2015 when he took on the role from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.
“Despite a demanding schedule of state affairs and recent health concerns, His Majesty’s unwavering commitment to our work as well as to the survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides, demonstrates the national significance of Holocaust Memorial Day.
“His continued Patronage also sends a powerful message to those who would deny, distort, invert or trivialise it: as a nation we stand firm in remembering, learning from, and preserving the horrific truth of the Holocaust.”
Maurice Helfgott, Chair of World Jewish Relief, said: “His Majesty the King has long been a great friend to both the Jewish community and the humanitarian community, and we are incredibly proud to call him our Royal Patron.
“His strong personal interest and commitment to our work is hugely motivating and inspiring to our team, partners, and those whom we support – here in the UK and globally. In the face of many real and acute challenges, we remain committed and dedicated to delivering life-saving and life-changing work to those experiencing the effects of crisis, conflict and disaster across the world, and we are honoured to be recognised in this way by His Majesty. We wish warm congratulations to all the exceptional charities receiving Royal Patronage.”
JLGB chief executive Neil Martin said: “We are profoundly honoured that His Majesty The King has chosen to continue his patronage with JLGB. As we approach the 130th anniversary of our founding in 2025, this royal endorsement not only recognises our historic contributions but also reinvigorates our resolve to empower the next generation of children and young people.”
Buckingham Palace this week announced that King Charles would be taking on more than 300 new patronages held by the late Queen.
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