We are proud to have two patrons who share our belief in the importance of relationships. We are grateful for their ongoing support, helping to spread the word about why relationships play such a vital role in all our lives, and the need for early support to be available to help people develop strong relational capability skills.
We are fortunate to have Dame Judi Dench as our patron. Born in York in 1934, the multi-award winning actor has had a long-standing connection with OnePlusOne. Together with her late husband Michael Williams, she was an early supporter of the work of our founder Dr Jack Dominian and has continued this commitment to the provision of accessible early support for families and the wider community.
Speaking at the time of OnePlusOne’s 50th anniversary in 2021, Dame Judi said:
"Back in 1996, Dr Jack Dominian, the founder of OnePlusOne, invited my husband Michael Williams and me, to become Patrons of OnePlusOne, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary.
“At that time, Michael and I were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and we were delighted to support the excellent work of the charity. I recall that we wrote these words in the 1996 Annual Review: ‘Creating and sustaining a stable relationship in modern times is a complex business.’ In 2021, this has become even harder.
“Over the last 50 years, OnePlusOne has shown that stable, supportive relationships – whatever form they take – are vital for our mental health and wellbeing. The OnePlusOne team have created effective and easy-to-access resources to strengthen relationships across the course of life.
“Most of us are not designed to be solitary animals. It’s our relationships that build resilience, helping us through the tough times. Since Michael died, my family, friends, and colleagues have been my bedrock.
“Please lend your support to the vital work of OnePlusOne. Help this inspiring charity to continue to make a difference to the quality of all our lives as we reconnect after the last 18 months.”
Patron of OnePlusOne.
‘Image by Robert Wilson.’
Born in 1946, Michael Buerk is a well-known journalist and broadcaster. He has presented BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze since it began in 1990.
Marking our 50th anniversary, Michael said:
“Many congratulations to OnePlusOne for half a century of intelligent and constructive work to make society better. The increase in relationship breakdown is not just tragic for those involved, it is damaging for all of us – a root cause of social inequality, educational underachievement, crime and psychological disorder. For 50 years, OnePlusOne has worked to analyse the causes of the problem, find the best methods to support relationships, the most effective ways to help. It is needed now more than ever.”
Patron of OnePlusOne.
