The British Jewish community has no greater friend than the King

I first became involved with the Prince’s Trust in 2002, when I wanted to mark the 25th anniversary of Travelex. 

By coincidence, I had founded the business in 1976, the very same year the King had used his small severance pay from the navy to start the Trust to help young people into education, employment or training.

Of the different programmes the charity ran, I was particularly struck by its work in helping young people from underprivileged backgrounds to start businesses. That kicked off the relationship and I was then asked to join the Development Committee, chaired by the late and much-missed Lord David Young. I subsequently succeeded David on the main Board of the Trust in 2007 and became Chairman in 2015, the same year that Prince’s Trust International was launched. I was then asked to focus all my attention on getting PTI off the ground. We are proud to have successfully steered the Trust through the choppy waters of the Covid pandemic and it now operates in 22 countries. After I finished my second term as Chairman of PTI, I was made a Vice-President of the charity, so it’s lovely to keep the connection.

Away from the Trust, I have seen the King’s commitment, passion and care from a number of other charities and initiatives with which I’ve been involved, including St Paul’s Cathedral’s “Remember Me” Covid Memorial and the Royal Opera House, of which he is Patron and where I became Chair last summer.

He has lent his support to many Jewish charities and causes over the years, including Holocaust-related organisations and World Jewish Relief. Four years ago, he organised a fantastic reception for our community at Buckingham Palace at a time when there was significant and rising anti-Semitism.  The community was feeling more vulnerable and insecure than it had felt for a long time.  The King intuitively understood this and his words that evening were powerful and reassuring.