Duchess of Cambridge now Scout volunteer

LONDON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The Duchess of Cambridge has begun her first full year as a member of the British royal family by announcing the charities she has selected for patronage.

The Scout Association heads the list released Wednesday, The Guardian reported. The duchess, a former Brownie, plans to volunteer with Scout groups as her schedule allows.

"The bottom line is that she wants to help on a regular basis and we are delighted," Simon Carter, a spokesman for the association said, adding that her involvement is likely to encourage others to volunteer.

A royal spokesman said most of her volunteering will probably be in North Wales, where she and Prince William live while he serves as a helicopter rescue pilot. Like any volunteers working with children, the duchess went through a criminal background check.

The other charities on the duchess' list are Action on Addiction, a group helping drug abusers, the East Anglia Children's Hospices, and two reflecting her background as a History of Art major -- the Art Room, which runs programs for children, and the National Portrait Gallery.