SkillForce is a British education charity that uses the skills and experience of a predominantly ex-Service instructor workforce to support children and young people in UK primary and secondary schools to improve their confidence, resilience and self-esteem so that they are better equipped to access the full curriculum at school.
HRH The Duke of Cambridge became Royal Patron in 2009. Ben Slade has been its Chief Executive since 2015. Slade was formerly a teacher, Headteacher and Executive Headteacher. In 2007 Slade was the youngest secondary school headteacher in the United Kingdom.
On 1 March 2017 during a school visit to Llanfoist Fawr Primary School in Monmouthshire, HRH The Duke of Cambridge launched The Prince William Award programme. The Prince William Award was conceived by Ben Slade with support from specialist writers, funding from LIBOR and investment company Standard Life plc. The University of Birmingham Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues are academic partners. The PWA is the UK's first character and resilience award programme for children and young people aged 6 – 14 years and is delivered by SkillForce instructors
Patrons include former Chief of the General Staff, General Lord Dannatt, former Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Ramsbotham. Ambassadors include former BBC Chief Correspondent, Kate Adie, BBC Sport presenter Vassos Alexander, Lord Freeman, Lord Ashcroft and triple Olympian Keri-anne Payne.