ROYAL approval has been given to a Rugby-based charity.
The King has retained his patronage of international development organisation Practical Action, which tackles poverty around the world through pragmatic, holistic and systemic approaches.
His decision to continue was made during a major review of more than 1,000 Royal Patronages and charity Presidencies.
The King is an admirer of the book Small is Beautiful, written by British economist E F Schumacher in 1973, and has been a patron of Practical Action since 1980.
Schumacher set up the Intermediate Technology Development Group – the charity which became Practical Action – to help communities develop simple, appropriate industrial and agricultural tools.
Practical Action CEO Sarah Roberts said: “We are pleased His Majesty King Charles III will be retaining his patronage with us.
“His Majesty is a long-term supporter of our approach to development and working with people living in poverty. Back in 1981, the King wrote an article in The Observer, lauding the objectives of the Intermediate Technology Development Group and advocating the small is beautiful message.
“Decades later, Schumacher’s ethos still guides Practical Action’s work. From our work with communities, to our partnerships and advocacy to change the systems that keep people poor and vulnerable, we always take a people-centred approach.”
She said the charity, which has its headquarters in Albert Street, had been working with people on the frontlines of poverty for 55 years to help them lift themselves out of poverty.
She added: “Today, with climate change and environmental decline threatening years of progress against poverty, this work is urgent and we are delighted to still be able to count on His Majesty’s support.”
The King’s support of Practical Action has helped raised the profile of the organisation in the UK and around the world for nearly 45 years.
Over the years he has visited the charity’s windpump project in Kenya in 1987, opened its previous office premise in 1999, attended its Garden Party To Make A Difference festival promoting green living at Clarence House in 2010, and hosted an event in 2015 at Clarence House to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Practical Action has also been invited to participate in several high-profile global activities, such as the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), an initiative launched by the King, then The Prince of Wales, in 2020 at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos.
And in 2021, the King supported several initiatives, such as signing the foreword to Practical Action’s global Managing our Waste publication and its French translation.
During the COP26 climate summit, Practical Action’s work featured in an exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, where many high-profile meetings were held, as well as a reception for royalty and Heads of State from across the globe.
Last year, Practical Action was chosen by the King Charles III Charitable Fund as a Strategic Partner. The funding is now being used across its agriculture work to build evidence and share knowledge so that more farmers in different farming and community contexts can transition to regenerative agriculture practices.
Visit www.practicalaction.org for more information on the charity, or to make a donation.
