bitchy | Princess Kate joins the Foundling Museum’s ‘urgent fundraising appeal’

Kate Middleton is appealing for help for a favorite charity dedicated to young people. The Princess of Wales, 41, says she wants to help secure the “long-term future” of the Foundling Museum, which supports people who have been in care and develops groundbreaking work in the early years sector.

The organization wants to secure the museum’s home and custodianship of the Foundling Hospital Collection for the next 999 years and needs around $1.2 million. Princess Kate, who is patron of the center, said in a statement released Wednesday that the Foundling Museum has delivered pioneering creative “programs and life-changing support to families and young people for over twenty years.”

“Their ground-breaking work to support each care-experienced young person to fundamentally change the future direction of their lives is one that means the world to me. Importantly, it shows that it is never too late to make a difference, and that by providing the right support, we can enable those who have faced real difficulties to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals,” the royal mom said.

“The Museum’s work opens the door to new opportunities for vulnerable children and young people, connecting them with artists and developing skills which they can take into their adult lives. By helping them to undertake this journey, we can create positive, lasting change that benefits our society as a whole,” she added.

“Just as the Museum has helped so many people, I hope that we can come together to do what we can to help protect the long-term future of this wonderful organization. I am grateful to all those who have already shown their support for the Foundling Museum and I sincerely wish that its vital work can continue for decades to come,” Kate concluded.

The Foundling Museum needs $1.2 million (£1 million) to reach its target of $5.7 million (£4.6 million) in its fundraising effort. Organizers have closed in on the goal via donations from 20 foundations and are now turning to the public element of the pitch.

The patronage unites two of Princess Kate’s passions — working to help young people and their carers while also highlighting the role that art can play in therapy and support. The Foundling Hospital Collection includes masterpieces donated by the leading artists of the 18th century, like Hogarth, Gainsborough and Reynolds.