HRH The Earl of Wessex ‘visits’ 6 North Yorkshire Projects funded by Community Foundation

On Thursday 25th February 2021, His Royal Highness, the Earl of Wessex met Two Ridings CEO Jan Garrill and six projects funded by the community foundation. The visit was hosted by Mrs Jo Ropner, The Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire.

The Earl of Wessex congratulated all the projects on their service during the Coronavirus Crisis. The following groups were represented:

Home-Start Richmondshire, Julie Teasdale, Senior Coordinator explained the work of the charity to keep children and families connected, including activity packs. The Earl was impressed by the focus on outdoor activities, including Halloween.

Nigel Poulton, from The Island in York described how Two Ridings had helped fund their Hampers of Hope – sent out to over 150 vulnerable children in York. He also described their ambitious plans for the future and invited the Earl to visit.

The Rev Kath Dean from the Genesis Project in Middlesbrough described how the whole community had rallied round to support people with a food and clothes bank.

Sarah Kekoa from Autism Angels and I Choose Life Foundation in Harrogate,  joined the meeting from her car, midst session! She described how important having safe, outdoor space has been for families well-being during lockdown.

Sohie Hall, from Scarborough, Whitby & Ryedale Mind explained how the charity had partnered with Age UK and others in Scarborough to become the community hub for the town, whilst also providing one to one peer mental health support.

And finally, John Venable from The Big Communitea in Selby described movingly the plight of ‘Pete’ who was living surrounded by his rubbish, through no fault of his own and was on the edge of despair. Following a call to the Big Communitea, volunteers spent a week clearing his home and giving him back his life and respect.