The Princess of Wales has helped kick off a Christmas campaign with the Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood in High Barnet.
Catherine’s visit to Sebby’s Corner, a Baby Bank, officially launched a seasonal campaign that aims to help families with young children in the lead-up to the holidays who are struggling with financial difficulties this year.
According to new research from the Centre for Early Childhood, financial pressure is the biggest issue facing parents and carers this year. Baby banks, like Sebby’s Corner, help families through donations of vital items needed to raise their children, like nappies and other toiletries, equipment and clothing.
Sebby’s Corner, located in north London, supports families in Barnet, Hertfordshire and the capital. It is one of over 200 baby banks in the United Kingdom that Catherine is urging people to support this holiday season.
The Princess was joined by Giovanna Fletcher, a UK media personality and early years advocate, as they helped prepare the Christmas Grotto at Sebby’s Corner. Catherine came with her own donation: 50 copies of the book The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, a book she said is a favourite of her children, and one that she previously read on CBeebies in 2022.
In an exclusive interview with People magazine, Sebby’s Corner’s founder, Bianca Sakol said that Catherine recognises her privilege and uses it to try and help others, and that the royal is passionate about the early years. “She really did seem like she wanted to help raise awareness and use her voice for good—and not everyone does that. She understands the challenges we face and what we’re trying to do here.”
During the visit, Catherine also met with volunteers and a family supported by Sebby’s Corner, and could be heard saying, “The work going on here is so essential… you are such a lifeline in so many ways, but you’re also hidden. We need to be able to normalise this and make this more visible.”
On social media, Kensington Palace wrote: “The relationships, experiences and surroundings in our earliest years lay the foundations for the rest of our lives.”