Welcome to my journal.
Get an insight into my day-to-day work and my perspective on key issues.
Reading and Feeding Imaginations: How books open young minds to unlimited opportunities
Last week I had the privilege of attending a fundraising reception for Beanstalk, a small charity that recruits, trains and supports volunteers to provide consistent, one-to-one literacy support to early years and primary school children who need help. These helpers give such children the support they need to improve their reading ability and - crucially - their confidence. It's a charity that my family is proud to support, and they asked me to speak about why we do so. Here is the speech I gave…
Africa and Young People: Becoming Agents of Change
There are more people under the age of 20 in Africa, than anywhere else in the world, and the continent's population is set to double to two billion by 2050.
It is these young people that have the ideas, energy and creativity to make the world a better place - but only if they are given the opportunities to do so.
This week, I have been in Dublin for this year's One Young World Summit - a global forum for the world's future leaders.
