Cabinet Secretary, Sir Chris Wormald, Announced as Patron of the Patchwork Foundation
The Patchwork Foundation has announced that Sir Chris Wormald, the UK’s Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, will serve as its new Patron. This prestigious appointment represents a major boost for the organisation’s work in supporting young people from diverse communities to engage in public life.
Sir Chris brings unparalleled experience from his position as the country’s most senior civil servant, where he oversees the machinery of government and champions the principles of public service excellence. His patronage signals strong institutional support for the Foundation’s democratic mission.
In this new role, Sir Chris will help advance the Foundation’s core purpose: breaking down barriers that prevent young people from underrepresented backgrounds from participating fully in British political and civic life. The organisation has built a strong track record of transforming lives by providing practical skills, networks, and confidence to those who might otherwise lack access to democratic participation.
Sir Chris Wormald expressed his enthusiasm for the role, stating:
“I am honoured to join the Patchwork Foundation as Patron. Their mission to create pathways for young people from all communities to engage meaningfully in our democratic processes is fundamental to building a stronger, more representative society where every voice matters.”
The Foundation’s impact speaks for itself, having transformed the lives of over 800 young people from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds. Through targeted programmes, participants gain the tools and connections needed to influence policy decisions affecting their communities directly.
Harris Bokhari OBE, serving as the Foundation’s Interim Chair, celebrated the appointment:
“We could not have hoped for a more suitable Patron than Sir Chris Wormald. His unrivalled knowledge of how government operates, combined with his commitment to public service, makes him perfectly placed to guide our mission. This partnership will strengthen our ability to create real opportunities for talented young people to contribute to the decisions that shape their futures.”
The Patronage represents a shared vision of British democracy that draws strength from all sections of society, ensuring that talent and potential are nurtured regardless of background’
With my interest in the intersection between geography and educational inequality, I particularly enjoyed my trip to see the important groundwork that the department carries out in Stoke-On-Trent as part of the Opportunity Areas Project. This trip taught me how vital teamwork and excellent communication skills are when working in a sector that requires the effective management of relationships with people from a variety of backgrounds, with different aims and interests amidst an overarching goal.
The Conference started with a guided tour of the Free City of Gdansk with other participants of the Youth Conference. We were able to see how Gdansk thrived from diversity throughout its history. Its beautiful city centre had a range of influences that only enriched the city’s culture. It also paid homage to one of Britain’s best playwrights as it features a Shakespearean theatre. The theatre showcases a range of prominent plays, such as Hamlet, which remain relevant to our society and politics today. The success of the theatre is an ardent reminder that we can only gain when we learn from each other. We also went to the European Solidarity Centre where we visited the permanent exhibition on the Polish resistance to Soviet Communism. It was inspirational how a non-violent protest was able to bring about the collapse of the iron curtain in Poland. 
However, the most powerful moment of the trip was attending the Westerplatte memorial on the morning of 1
Finally, special mention must be given to experience of European Jews during the War. In our tour of the city, we visited one of the memorials of the Kindertransport. Gdansk was one of the cities where Jewish children emigrated out of Europe to the UK, without their parents. In our final day, the representatives of Patchworks visited the Stutthof concentration camp, which was just outside Gdansk. From both experiences, it was clear that the suffering of Polish Jews was unique and incomparable. Frans Trimmermans, EU Vice-President similarly picked up on this in his speech at Westerplatte, where he mentioned the unique tragedy that the Jewish community went through. Their experience should serve as a warning of what humans could be capable of, especially with the current increase of anti-Semitism across the world.