The Duchess of Cambridge is patron of many charities and causes close to her heart, including the Nursing Now 2020 campaign – which celebrated its first anniversary on Tuesday. To mark the end of its successful first year, Kate sent a personal message to the campaign, where she spoke about her respect for nurses. She said: "I am delighted that, at the end of its first year, Nursing Now has grown internationally, with local and national groups in over 60 countries. Nurses play a vital role in health teams all around the world, and this campaign is doing an important job of raising their status and profile globally."
Kate became patron of Nursing Now 2020 last year
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Kate continued: "The dedication and professionalism of nurses is awe-inspiring. It is wonderful news that the World Health Organisation Executive Board has announced that 2020 will be the 'Year of the Nurse and Midwife'. This is a fitting celebration of the 20 million nurses worldwide and we hope that more young people will be attracted into nursing careers to ensure that the principle that health is for everyone, everywhere, becomes a reality."
Nursing Now 2020 aims to raise the profile of nurses globally, and is working in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and International Council of Nurses. The campaign will run until the end of 2020, which also marks the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. It is working towards improving nurses' influence and maximise their contributions so that everyone around the world has access to healthcare. This extends to midwifery too.
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The Duchess has just come back from Norfolk with her family
Other causes that Kate supports include Place2Be, a leading national children's mental health charity, and East Anglia Children's Hospices (E.A.C.H), which provide free services for children with life-threatening illnesses. The mum-of-three is also an advocate for mental health awareness, and founded mental health campaign Head's Together with Prince William and Prince Harry in 2017.
It's been a busy start to the week for Kate, who returned to London on Sunday with her family for the start of the new school term following the holidays. Kate and William had spent the week at their country home, Anmer Hall, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. During their time away, Kate treated George and Charlotte to a trip to the swimming pool, and organised races for them while Louis stayed at home with William.
Kate Middleton as a mother
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