07 Aug 2019
GWD one of only 15 Instagram accounts followed by Harry & Meghan
BY Jane Kitchen
UK’s Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have announced the 15 Instagram accounts that they’re following, after they unfollowed everyone and requested people to recommend worthy causes for them to follow.
The royal couple choose 15 worthy charities each month to follow, creating publicity for those causes and sharing their missions with their 9.3 million Instagram followers.
Among the 15 causes selected this month: Global Wellness Day, the nonprofit founded by Belgin Aksoy that offers a range of free health and wellness activities to the public, and which many spas across the world are involved in.
“We are still doing the happy dance,” said Aksoy. “I was hoping so much for this. It’s just amazing to see that all the voluntary work and sleepless nights of the Global Wellness Day family towards our global shared dream of ‘living well’ has also been crowned by the British Royal Family. We look up to their Royal Highness The Duke and Duchess of Sussex for using their platform to shoutout for inspiring organisations and initiatives that work for the things that matter.”
Aksoy founded Global Wellness Day in 2012, bringing her vision to the world that wellness is not a luxury but the inherent right of every individual. Global Wellness Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of June each year with free wellness activities across the globe and the idea that “one day you can change your whole life”.
In 2019, the event reached more than 7,000 locations in 150+ countries across six continents – resulting in millions of people getting involved.
In the eight years since its inception, the annual celebration of wellness has grown exponentially and this year saw the involvement of a host of high-profile celebrities, even before the Royals got involved.
These included Oprah Winfrey and her friend Gayle King posting on social media how they were celebrating GWD by taking a morning hike with the dogs.
Aksoy’s dream of celebrating a day dedicated to wellness has now inspired an international network of more than 87 GWD Ambassadors, 25 Key Supporters and four Advisors to organise free wellness events around the globe.
New countries taking part in the event this year included the Cayman Islands, China, Peru, Kenya, Zimbabwe and the Dominican Republic.
“The beauty of GWD is that no matter where in the world it is celebrated, the aim is to always take the current wellness level of the community and enhance it with complimentary wellness activities," she said. "GWD events range from having lice cleaned from children’s hair in Myanmar 'No Man’s Land' to yoga with celebrity instructors on the Helipad of Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. GWD is inclusive, embracing and a fit for any community. That’s part of what makes it so magical.”
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