THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL WILL UNDERTAKE ENGAGEMENTS IN SUTTON
Thursday 6th February 2020
Engagement 1
The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Her Majesty’s Prison Downview to meet staff and inmates and to learn about the prison’s rehabilitation programmes.
HMP Downview is a closed prison in Sutton, Surrey, for women aged 18 and over. It is one of only 12 female prisons in the country. Her Royal Highness will hear from staff and offenders about their experiences and learn how the prison’s rehabilitation programmes are equipping women with employment skills ahead of their release. Among the initiatives, which Her Royal Highness will see first-hand, are:
- Max Spielmann Academy – an onsite shop where inmates are trained in up-to-date photographic industry techniques and given the opportunity to earn a customer service qualification.
- Making for Change – a fashion training and manufacturing unit established by the Ministry of Justice and London College of Fashion in 2014. The project produces daywear, accessories and homeware to an industry standard. It aims to increase wellbeing and reduce reoffending rates amongst participants by equipping them with professional skills within a supportive environment.
- Library/Reading groups – The library has recently started working with the National Literacy Trust, of which Her Royal Highness is Patron, to implement Books Unlocked. This programme is funded by the Booker Prize Foundation to help prisoners increase their enjoyment and frequency of reading by offering them the opportunity to read, discuss and own Man Booker Prize shortlisted titles. Other literacy initiatives at HMP Downview include Storybook Mums, which allows inmates to record a bedtime story for their children, and the two-week arts and literature festival, Penned Up.
- Clink charity kitchen – the kitchen supplies catering for external events in partnership with the corporation of London, giving inmates the opportunity to learn about food safety and preparation.
The Duchess of Cornwall previously visited HMP Styal in 2018, HMP Brixton in 2016 and HMP Erlestoke in 2014. Her Royal Highness also attended a tea reception at KPMG’s Mayfair Café to mark the 7th anniversary of the Books Unlocked programme in October 2019.
Engagement 2
The Duchess of Cornwall, President, Maggie’s, will visit the charity’s latest centre – Maggie’s at The Royal Marsden. Her Royal Highness will meet staff, volunteers and people supported by the charity, as well as those involved in the design of this new centre.
About Maggie’s
Maggie’s is a charity providing free cancer support and information in centres alongside NHS hospitals and online. Its centres provide a breathing space away from the hospital where visitors can meet people who understand what they are going through or just take a moment to gather their thoughts.
Maggie’s helps people take back control when cancer turns life upside down, with support for anything from treatment side effects to money worries. Their professional teams provide help and information and run groups and activities, all designed to make coping with cancer easier.
The unique buildings help people find the hope, determination and resources they need to face cancer. Visitors can also access trusted information through an online community and blog or find answers to questions in an online discussion forum.
Maggie’s believe everyone should have access to professional psychological and emotional support to help change the way they live with cancer.
The first Maggie’s Centre opened in Edinburgh in 1996 and there are now 26 centres across the UK and internationally, with more planned for the future. The Duchess of Cornwall has been President of Maggie’s since 2008 and has visited 11 centres across England, Wales and Scotland.
Maggie’s at The Royal Marsden
The Royal Marsden treats 59,000 patients a year in its hospitals in Chelsea, London and Sutton, Surrey. Many of these patients will face tough questions, exhausting treatment and difficult emotions that can range from anxiety to loneliness and isolation. These challenges affect not only those with cancer, but their family and friends too.
Maggie’s at The Royal Marsden provides free cancer support for people with cancer and their family and friends, further enhancing The Royal Marsden’s world-leading treatment and care.
The centre has been designed by London-based studio Ab Rogers Design, with landscaping by world-renowned landscape architect, Piet Oudolf. The building comprises four fanning red terracotta volumes set in an idyllic garden. The interior is set around a courtyard and communal kitchen and connects to the garden throughout, ensuring it is filled with natural light.
The opening of Maggie’s at The Royal Marsden allows Maggie’s to extend its support even further across London, which sees over 28,000 cancer diagnoses a year. Maggie’s at The Royal Marsden expects to receive up to 25,000 visits a year.
Catch up on The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall’s most recent engagements, in the latest issue of Royal Life magazine.
