Hello We Day!
It’s a great privilege to be back in this exciting, buzzing space, this time as President of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust; a platform we created for YOU where your ideas and creativity will be taken seriously – because it’s YOU that are making the most impact in your communities.
I am proud to stand before you and see you just as enthusiastic as I remembered.
With all of that activism, some might think you’d be exhausted – but look at you, (and listen to you) - you know the secret!
That in giving back, in fighting the good fight, it doesn’t exhaust you, it energizes you.
To be amongst all of you progressive, motivated, open minded, change-makers, is what gives me hope for the future.
Your optimism is inspiring - you see opportunities where other people see challenges; you seek solutions when others just focus on problems.
You are the most engaged generation in history. You care about values, doing the right thing, and championing the causes that will shape your future.
You don’t judge someone based on how they look, where they’re from, or how they identify.
In this room, you see the world for what it is - vibrant, colourful, mixed and full of promise.
That is who you are, and that is what makes me feel proud to stand in your presence as you tackle the world’s greatest issues. And you guys know as well as I do, we’ve still got so much to do.
As far as I see it, there are two absolutely crucial issues that we need to focus on, and my hope is that a 1000 more issues will be cured in the process.
First, let’s take OUR mental health; which you’ve embraced whole heartedly, breaking the generational stigma and helping to normalise the conversation.
After all, mental illness is about recovery, mental health is about consciousness, mental fitness is about well-being.
To be happy is to be mindful, mindful of your feelings, mindful of your surroundings, and mindful of the 7.7 billion other humans that inhabit this planet.
And while we’re on the topic of health, let’s talk about the health of our planet too.
Climate change, is a humanitarian issue not a political one, and one where we’ve been far too slow in waking up to the issues and acting on the damaging impact
