A 90 Year History

Once upon a time, back in England, in the year of 1934 – 90 years ago to be precise, a young Prince had a vision to make a profound change in the lives of his future subjects.  He saw the suffering the Great Depression had brought on the Kingdom he loved and he vowed to make things right. So he spoke with his greatest of friends, a wonderful, inspiring  and strong young lady by the name of Mrs Freda Dudley Ward. Together, they would make history. At the Prince's request they founded a charity called The Feathers Clubs Association.

 That Prince was the Prince of Wales, who went on to be King Edward VIII (who abdicated for love to marry Wallis Simpson, whom some say, Freda introduced the Prince to at a private party).  Edward VIII granted permission for the charity to use his crest of the three feathers to be the charity's emblem, which is also how it got its name!

Mrs Freda Dudley Ward, went on to become the Marquesa de Case Maury, and she stayed with the charity for over 50 years, until her death in the 1980s.

 The charity lived on, and so too does the enduring story of friendship, love, compassion for others, high society fundraising, and making an impact in the lives of those less fortunate. That charity, now called The Feathers Association, continues to support youth and communities across the UK and we rely on events to provide most of our funding. The most successful events have been the Feathers Winter and Spring Balls for young people under 16. The Winter Ball, which has been going for over 70 years, today has 1,600 young guests from independent schools in London, and famously sells out in seconds! It's a right of passage with a 70 year legacy, and more "first kisses" than anyone cares to remember.

Now, in 2024, for the first time we are holding a Grand Ball for adults - the inaugural Feathers Animal Ball! We hope you will join us there.

 These fundraising events provide crucial funding for our centres and community programmes encompassing Mentoring, Creative Arts, Sports, and Education Support across England, Scotland and Wales.