Duchess of Cambridge to become patron of three charities

OHMYGOSSIP — Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, has agreed to become patron of charities Place2Be, SportsAid and The Natural History Museum.

Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge has agreed to become patron of three charities. The 31-year-old royal, who is expecting her first child with husband Prince William in July, has chosen to support Place2Be, SportsAid and The Natural History Museum by carrying out public engagements on their behalf.

By representing the charities it is hoped Catherine – formally known as Kate Middleton prior to her nuptials – will increase their fund raising and raise more awareness for the causes.

Unlike the late Queen Mother, who had represented over 800 charities by the time of her time in 2002, the duchess hasn’t accepted any offers until now since her wedding in April 2011.

SportsAid assists young athletes by providing them with funds through cash awards, enabling them to pay for essential costs such as training, travelling and competition fees.

Previous recipients of support from the charity include Sir Bradley Wiggins, Rebecca Addlington OBE, Tom Daley and Jessica Ennis, who all took part in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Chief executive Tim Lawler is thrilled Catherine will now represent them, gushing: “This is fantastic news for young sports people throughout the UK and especially for those who hope one day to represent the country at the highest level of their sport.”

Rebecca added: “This is just brilliant news. What a fantastic boost to SportsAid’s work with our next generation of talent. It will certainly help to maintain a living legacy from London 2012.”

Catherine and William visited London’s Natural History Museum last year to open their Treasures exhibition and her assistance will keep of maintenance of the facility, which holds over 70 million specimens.

Finally, London’s Natural History Museum is an award-winning tourist attraction and also world-leading science research centre.

It is home to the world’s largest and most important natural history collection, with more than 70 million specimens.

Lastly, Place2Be offers support to more than 67,000 children in some of the more deprived areas in the UK from 175 different schools, helping them cope with issues including bereavement, bullying and family breakdown.

A representative for the duchess is hopeful she will take part in both private and public visits across the UK to these organisations in the coming months.