Aida Cable has been CEO of the children’s charity Thrive at Five since 2021 having previously been Chief Advisor to The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Thrive at Five was founded with a vision of a future where every child is supported in early childhood so they can reach their potential. A national charity, its first area of activity was in Stoke-on-Trent and it has built strong networks with organisations in the city including with Staffordshire University.
The charity is driving and supporting collaboration between funders, the public, private and voluntary sector. It empowers parents, carers and families in local communities so they are at the heart of shaping the future of their children.
Before moving into the charity sector Aida had a 16-year career as a commercial lawyer. She qualified first as a barrister, then as a solicitor, becoming a partner at a city law firm and finally heading up the legal department at an international commodities trading house.
Aida has been working on high profile charitable initiatives for 14 years, collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders from the voluntary, public and private sectors.
In 2012 she began working with Greenhouse Schools Projects Ltd, supporting the senior management team on strategy and legal issues, and with design and implementation of a sports coaching apprenticeship. 1000 young people have been trained by Coach Core in the past 10 years.
The following year Aida became Programme Manager for The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge where she programme managed a portfolio of grant-funded projects supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Aida stayed with the Royal household until 2021 working in roles including Chief of Staff for the Invictus Games, Head of Programmes – Mental Health and Young People, Director of Programmes for the Duchess of Cambridge and finally Chief Advisor of The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Aida was a trustee of Family Action for 10 years and was a member of its audit and investment committees. She remains a member of the Invictus Endeavour Programme Advisory Board and is the founder of Ravenscourt Park Runners. She has also served as the Governor of a school in Haringey.
The Award of Honorary Doctor of Letters is bestowed upon Aida in recognition of her exemplary devotion, drive and passion in developing the Thrive at Five Charity and outstanding contributions to the health and wellbeing of society.
This has been demonstrated throughout her remarkable 16-year career as a lawyer and the transition to the third sector in 2012 to take on pivotal charitable roles affording opportunities to drive projects like the inaugural Invictus Games, in her role as Chief of Staff, as Chief Advisor for The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and now Chief Executive Officer of Thrive at Five.
By galvanising groups of likeminded philanthropists, investors and partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, as CEO of Thrive at Five she has helped build solid foundations to transform the lives of babies and young children in some of the most deprived areas of Stoke-on-Trent, profoundly improving future outcomes through early childhood development. This trailblazing work in our city is helping inform a way of working which Thrive at Five is replicating and scaling nationally. This step-change in society will educate and empower parents, carers and families in local communities so they are at the heart of shaping the future of their children.
The award also acknowledges the contribution Aida made developing the strategy for the Duchess of Cambridge’s Early Years work which included the commissioning of an extensive body of social research. Launched in 2020, the Royal Foundation’s landmark public survey was the biggest ever UK study of perceptions of the Early Years and has influenced the direction of early years education since.