Royal Watch News

Duchess Catherine's 'instrumental' support for charity

Jan 10, 2013, 16:17 GMT

Duchess Catherine

Duchess Catherine has enabled a British-based charity to expand.

The Duchess of Cambridge's support for children's charity The Art Room- which is based in Oxford, southern England, and helps youngsters aged five to 16 with emotional and behavioural difficulties - has been 'instrumental' in helping the aid organisation to almost double the number of art rooms it has.

Juli Beattie, founder director of The Art Room - which Catherine became patron of last year - told the Oxford Mail newspaper: 'It has been a fantastic year for The Art Room since HRH The Duchess of Cambridge became our royal patron.

'Her support has been instrumental in taking our charity to the next level in our drive to become a national organisation taking art as therapy to more and more children.

'Since the Duchess of Cambridge came to the Art Room in Rose Hill, and at Oxford Spires, we have been able to raise funds to help us work towards the opening of two new art rooms in the next few months.

'It is our aim to provide help to children most in need be it when they become disengaged from mainstream education, are disruptive, withdrawn or have learning difficulties.'

The charity invites kids into its art rooms, which are based at schools in Oxford, to be creative.

Juli also said Catherine - who was known as Kate Middleton prior to her and Prince William's nuptials - had been 'very supportive' throughout 2011.