THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE AND PRINCE HARRY TO JOIN TEAM HEADS TOGETHER LONDON MARATHON TRAINING DAY. 

QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK, LONDON 

Sunday 5th February 2017

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will join a training day with the runners taking part in the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon for Heads Together, the official Charity of the Year. The training day for Team Heads Together, the campaign to change the conversation on mental health which is spearheaded by Their Royal Highnesses, will take place at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) in London on Sunday 5th February.

Approximately 150 runners will take place in the training day, which will include a run around QEOP and a training session on the London Marathon Community Track, beside the former Olympic Stadium. The day will also include informative presentations and question and answer sessions in the Copper Box Arena, on training and preparing for a marathon from specialists in areas such as nutrition, running and stretching.

Team Heads Together runners will also receive advice and encouragement on how they can lead from the front in achieving the campaign mission of starting millions of conversations on mental health in 2017.

The runners are fundraising for the eight Heads Together Charity Partners or the campaign itself and there will be a session to support their efforts in raising funds for the services and support giving vital help with mental health, day in, day out.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will join runners while they are training on the London Marathon Community Track and at a warm down in the Copper Box Arena, before The Duke gives words of encouragement to the runners.

Their Royal Highnesses will also set out how all 38,000+ runners in this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon will be able to help Heads Together make it the ‘mental health marathon’, alongside supporting whichever great charity or personal cause they may be running for.

Their Royal Highnesses will be joined by Paula Radcliffe, the current Marathon World Record Holder and three-time London Marathon winner, who will also give advice and encouragement to the assembled Heads Together runners. British 400m Record Holder and London Marathon regular, Iwan Thomas, will also join the training day as part of the Team Heads Together team running this year’s Marathon and take part in a Q&A session.

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Kensington Palace Press Release: Prince Harry to visit Full Effect and Coach Core programmes in Nottingham 

Wednesday 1 February 2017

Prince Harry will visit Nottingham on Wednesday 1 February to see the work of Full Effect and Coach Core, two projects supported by The Royal Foundation that work to improve opportunities for young people. His Royal Highness visited both programmes during a visit to the city last October, and is returning to see a new strand of Full Effect’s work which provides support and mentoring to secondary school students. Prince Harry will also attend the graduation ceremony of the cohort of Nottingham Coach Core apprentices, many of whom he met at the National Ice Centre during his last visit.

Established in 2014, Full Effect has been supporting young people in the St Ann’s area of Nottingham through a combination of early intervention, mentoring and education. Over the last three years, Full Effect resilience workers and mentors have been providing a group of ‘at risk’ primary-aged children with intensive support both in school and through diversionary activities in the community. In September 2016, this support was extended to include those transitioning to secondary school – an event which for many children can be challenging. Prince Harry will join both a music and sports session at Nottingham Academy in which he will meet a number of students benefitting from the Full Effect programme, and will hear first-hand from staff about the positive impact it is having on the local school communities.

His Royal Highness will then travel to the city centre to present Coach Core apprentices with their graduation certificates at a ceremony held at Nottingham Council House. Prior to the ceremony at which Prince Harry will deliver a short speech, His Royal Highness will speak to the Nottingham graduates to hear more about their experiences of the apprenticeship since their last meeting in October. Created by the Royal Foundation in 2012 as part of the Olympic Legacy programme, the Coach Core model – a year’s apprenticeship – trains 16–24 year olds who are not in education, employment or training to become professional sports coaches in their communities. In turn, the apprentices are able to motivate and inspire other young people through sport. Through the programme, the Nottingham apprentices have had the opportunity to work and train with Coach Core’s local sporting partners including Trent Bridge Community Trust, Nottingham Rugby Club, the National Ice Centre, Epic Partners, Notts County FC Football in the Community and Nottingham Forest in the Community. Now in its fifth year, Coach Core is on track to be operating within 10 cities across the UK by spring 2017.

Following the Coach Core graduation, Prince Harry will watch two extract performances from Full Effect creative projects ‘Nott Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Look Sharp: The Barbershop’.

Full Effect also engages and mentors older young people at the Community Recording Studio based at The Russell Youth Centre in St Ann’s, helping them to acquire work-relevant skills, experience and qualifications. During his last visit to Nottingham, His Royal Highness dropped in on rehearsals for the Hip Hopera ‘Look Sharp: The Barbershop’, which was performed at the Nottingham Arts Theatre on 17 November 2016.

For more information on Full Effect and Coach Core, please visit http://full-effect.org/ and http://wearecoachcore.com/.

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Today Her Majesty The Queen visits The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich to see a very special Fiji exhibition.

Prince Harry to Visit London Ambulance Service for Heads Together in Support of Time to Talk Day 

Thursday 2nd February, 2017

As part of the Heads Together campaign, Prince Harry will visit the London Ambulance Service to help kick off this year’s Time to Talk Day, the annual awareness day run by Time to Change aimed at getting the nation talking about mental health.

The theme of this year’s Time to Talk Day is ‘conversations change lives’. His Royal Highness will start the day at the London Ambulance Service, one of many workplaces around the UK committed to promoting mental wellbeing of the workforce and who run a Time to Talk Day event. During his visit Prince Harry will speak to members of staff at London Ambulance Service who will share how the support of their colleagues has helped them overcome difficult times in their lives. His Royal Highness will hear from 999 control room staff and ambulance crews about the importance of being able to talk to colleagues about how they’re feeling and what challenges they may be coping with.

Prince Harry will then join staff in the service’s own Time to Talk Day event where he will find out more about London Ambulance Service’s LINC network. LINC, which stands for ‘Listening, Informal, Non-judgemental, Confidential’, is a voluntary network of staff who can listen and support their peers. Other activities taking place organised by the London Ambulance Service and Time to Change on the day will provide staff members with advice on how to start conversations and look after their mental wellbeing.

Heads Together is a campaign to change the conversation on mental health, spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, in partnership with eight leading mental health charities and three Founding Partners. Visit www.headstogether.org.uk for more information.

Time to Change is a growing movement of people changing how we all think and act about mental health problems. The campaign is run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and is funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund. Time to Change organises Time to Talk Day, now in its fourth year, to encourage people to be more open about mental health and ready to listen. On Time to Talk Day people are being encouraged to have conversations. Organisations, including schools, universities, workplaces and sports clubs, are being encouraged to hold events where everyone can take time out and talk about mental health. Everyone is being asked to then log their conversations on the Time to Change website.

For more information please go to http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/timetotalkday.

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East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) were delighted to welcome The Duchess of Cambridge to their Norfolk hospice in Quidenham early yesterday morning.

Greeted by flag-waving children from local primary schools, The Duchess was then introduced to dignitaries and given a posy by four-year-old Nell Cork.

Her Royal Highness was then taken on a tour of the hospice by EACH Service Manager Jane Campbell, and observed children taking part in an art therapy session. You can read all the families stories here.

The second half of Catherine’s visit was spent talking to staff and volunteers who work at Quidenham and getting an update on The Nook Appeal.

The Nook Appeal aims to raise £10 million for a new purpose-built hospice at a five-acre site in Framingham Earl.

The current Norfolk hospice was opened in 1991 and, due to the increasing numbers of children with life-threatening conditions and complex healthcare needs, the hospice has now outgrown its current site.

The new hospice will help provide more families with the same facilities as those offered by the charity’s hospices for Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk.

Graham Butland, EACH Chief Executive said: “It was a pleasure for everyone at EACH to greet Her Royal Highness once again, on what was her first visit to our site in Quidenham.

“The Duchess was given a really good insight into the difficulties our staff and volunteers face as a result of Quidenham having outgrown its home, and the huge difference a purpose-built modern hospice will make to the care they can provide to so many families.

“The nook appeal will transform children’s palliative care across Norfolk and we’ve so far secured close to £5 million.

“We still have some way to go before the new hospice can be built, though, and we need continued help from individuals, trusts and events, and as much corporate and community support as possible.”

Kensington Palace announce that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend the Place2Be Big Assembly with Heads Together for Children’s Mental Health Week 

Monday 6th February, 2017

The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of Place2Be, accompanied by The Duke of Cambridge will attend ‘The Big Assembly’ by Place2Be hosted at Mitchell Brook Primary School, as part of the Heads Together campaign to start millions of conversations on mental health in 2017. The Big Assembly, on the theme of kindness, is one of many being held at primary schools across the UK to mark Children’s Mental Health Week (6th – 12th February 2017).

Their Royal Highnesses will have the chance to meet staff and pupils, attend the Assembly, and present the first Place2Be ‘Kindness Cup’ to the pupil who has shown exceptional kindness in their school community and beyond. Pupils will act out role plays about being kind, and the school choir will also perform.

Children’s Mental Health Week 2017 focuses on kindness, and its benefits for wellbeing. It can be difficult to know how to help someone going through a difficult time, but small acts of kindness can make all the difference. Throughout the week, Place2Be is encouraging children to ‘spread a little kindness’ in their schools and at home, for example by looking out for classmates who may be having a difficult time, listening to how they feel, and if they need it, asking an adult for help.

Place2Be is a Charity Partner of the Heads Together campaign, spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry to end stigma and change the conversation on mental health.

The charity has produced downloadable activities for schools, and tips for teachers, parents and children, available at www.ChildrensMentalHealthWeek.org.uk. Schools are also invited to download the footage after the event and use in their own assemblies and lessons, to help as many children and young people as possible learn the importance and value of kindness.

Place2Be is a leading UK children’s mental health charity providing in-school support and expert training to improve the emotional wellbeing of pupils, families, teachers and school staff. The charity works directly with more than 282 primary and secondary schools across Wales, Scotland and England, reaching a school population of over 116,000 pupils. It is one of the eight Charity Partners of the Heads Together campaign, to change the national conversation on mental health and make the 2017 London Marathon the mental health marathon.

The Duchess of Cambridge has been Patron of Place2Be since 2013, reflecting her interest in child mental health and the importance of early intervention to provide children with in-school mental health services at the earliest stage possible.

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An Update From Kensington Palace 

Since 2014 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have used Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace as their official residence when carrying out Royal duties, while basing their family primarily at their home in Norfolk. This arrangement has allowed The Duke to work as a pilot with the East Anglia Air Ambulance, a role he has valued hugely. Their Royal Highnesses love their time in Norfolk and it will continue to be their home.

From this autumn, however, The Duke and Duchess will increasingly base their family at Kensington Palace. As they have in recent years, Their Royal Highnesses are keen to continue to increase their official work on behalf of The Queen and for the charities and causes they support, which will require greater time spent in London. Prince George will begin school in London in September and Princess Charlotte will also go to nursery and eventually school in London as well.

His Royal Highness will finish his role with the EAAA in the summer in line with his commitment to fly with them for two years. The Duke said:

“It has been a huge privilege to fly with the East Anglia Air Ambulance. Following on from my time in the military, I have had experiences in this job I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and that will add a valuable perspective to my Royal work for decades to come.

“I would like to thank the people of East Anglia for being so supportive of my role and for letting me get on with the job when they have seen me in the community or at our region’s hospitals. I would especially like to thank all of my colleagues at EAAA, Babcock, and Cambridge Airport for their friendship and support. I have loved being part of a team of professional, talented people that save lives every day. My admiration for our country’s medical and emergency services community could not be any stronger.”

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Prince Harry will visit a young person’s hostel in North London on 26th January, to meet young people who are engaged with The Running Charity programme, as part of his continued focus on exploring how sport can be used to help vulnerable young people and communities.

The Running Charity is the UK’s first running-orientated programme for homeless and vulnerable young people. The programme engages young people in regular running-based activities with qualified fitness professionals as coaches, harnessing the underlying benefits of the sport as a powerful motivational tool. The Running Charity partners with existing homeless charities, providing a diverse training programme that ensures high levels of engagement between the participants and coaches. Through sport, The Running Charity is able to encourage young people to set positive goals, to speak and engage with each other in a positive way, develop a healthier lifestyle and establish a positive mindset. The aim throughout the programme is that as their confidence increases, participants become more resilient and optimistic about what they can achieve in life.

During his visit, Prince Harry will meet staff at the hostel and the charity to hear about the benefits of the programme for the young people involved. He will speak directly to Claude, a programme mentor who has himself experienced homelessness and who has direct experience of using sport as a way to build skills to improve his circumstances. Prince Harry will then meet some of the current beneficiaries along with recent graduates of The Running Charity’s programme, to hear from them directly what benefit it brings.

This is one of a series of visits Prince Harry is undertaking to develop his understanding of the sport for social development sector and use his position to support the great work that is already taking place across the country – to ensure that community sports groups continue to play a key role in improving the life chances of disadvantaged young people.

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Sophie, Countess of Wessex today celebrates her 52nd birthday as she attends the Devon County Agricultural Association AGM at Westpoint, Clyst St Mary, Exeter.

Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones was born at Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, on 20 January 1965, the second child and first daughter of Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones and his wife, Mary.

Sophie is the wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Married in 1999, she worked in public relations until 2002 and now assists her husband in his various activities.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex have two children: James, Viscount Severn, and Lady Louise Windsor.

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Rhino Conservation Botswana (RCB) is delighted to announce that His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales has agreed to become the charity’s new Patron.

Founded in 2014, RCB is an international organisation that monitors and protects black and white rhinos it helps rescue from poaching hotspots across southern Africa and move to Botswana. Here, thanks to the government’s robust anti-poaching laws and the support of the military, the rhinos can thrive – and ultimately become one of the last great hopes for the survival of their kind.

The announcement comes after Prince Harry visited Botswana last September, where he joined an RCB operation to fit electronic tracking devices to critically endangered black rhinos, which had been translocated to the Okavango Delta. Working as part of a small team, His Royal Highness helped with tasks including clearing thorn bushes from around sedated rhinos so that tracking devices could be fitted, monitoring the animals’ breathing and heart rate, administering oxygen, covering the rhinos’ eyes to protect them, and helping to keep the animals cool with water. These individual actions will help protect rhinos, and maintain the important biodiversity these animals depend on to survive in the wilderness.

RCB’s director, Martin ‘Map’ Ives, said:

“Prince Harry has seen at first-hand the cruel and senseless damage inflicted on these endangered animals by poachers. I know that His Royal Highness’s support for our work will make a real difference to rhino conservation. We are hugely grateful for the work and support Prince Harry has already extended to RCB, and look forward to working with him in the future as our Patron.” 

Map Ives goes on to explain:

“Across Africa, rhinos are being poached for their horns at a rate that could make them extinct in the wild within 10 years. It’s a senseless trade; rhino horn has no proven medicinal value. Even so, demand is increasing. Today rhino horn is worth more than gold. Despite their size, rhinos have no defences against bullets and high-powered weapons. They are completely reliant on our protection and on our efforts to turn the current tide of poaching for their survival. RCB’s message is one of hope. Together, we can stop rhinos from going extinct and build a safer future for these magnificent animals.” 

As featured in the short film released today, Prince Harry said whilst in Botswana:

“The rhino is one of Africa’s most iconic species. This is a black rhino, an animal that deserves the utmost respect, so to be able to be sitting next to her is incredibly special. The black rhino has been reintroduced into Botswana and its numbers are increasing here, while numbers are decreasing elsewhere. If we can’t save these animals, what can we save?” 

On becoming Royal Patron of RCB, Prince Harry said:

“I’ve been lucky enough to visit Botswana for more than 20 years and am incredibly fortunate to be able to call it my second home. Being Patron of RCB is an opportunity to give something back to a country that has given so much to me.” 2

“It’s about time we start celebrating and supporting the countries that are taking the lead in conservation.” 

Prince Harry joins the Honourable Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism Tshekedi Khama as a Patron of RCB. The charity works closely with partners, including the Botswana Government and the Botswana Defence Force, and supporters across Africa and around the world, to protect ‘ark’ populations of black and white rhinos.

To learn more about RCB, visit www.rhinoconservationbotswana.com.

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