Prince Harry visits struggling youth sports centre in Leicester

Started by Jennifer, March 23, 2017, 07:08:27 PM

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Jennifer

QuoteAfter meeting primary school-aged children and learning about the services provided by Leicestershire's AIDS charity, LASS, Prince Harry attended his final event in Leicester yesterday. He went to the Southfields Drive Sports Centre on the Saffron Lane Estate and met kids participating in the Pink Lizard Youth group.

Pink Lizard helps children in this deprived area of Nottinghamshire gain confidence and self-esteem through sport. Because of council cuts, the Southfields Drive Sports centre is threatened with closure. Harry encouraged the kids to go out and seek funding for better services.

The Prince showed off his athletic skills, playing football with the kids at the centre before chatting with the kids on the inter-war housing estate about their lives and problems.

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Prince Harry visits struggling youth sports centre in Leicester – Royal Central

Double post auto-merged: March 23, 2017, 07:10:03 PM


QuotePrince Harry visits AIDS charity and meets children in Leicester


Prince Harry was in top form as he went to two out of three events in Leicester yesterday. He went to the Leicestershire Aids Support Service (LASS), a charity his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales visited in 1991.

LASS is celebrating its 30th anniversary; The Prince, after meeting volunteers, participating in a discussion group and a training session, unveiled a plaque to commemorate the organisation's birthday.

LASS works with people living in Rutland and Leicester. Through training and workshops, it seeks to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. According to The Express, the charity provides "information, advice, support and advocacy for people living with or affected by HIV." It seeks to banish the stigmas associated with HIV and helps those living with the virus deal with the daily discrimination they face as a result. Harry also heard how LASS is helping those living with HIV live full, healthy, and happy lives.

Read more:
Prince Harry visits AIDS charity and meets children in Leicester – Royal Central
"You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination". ~ Ralph Marston

Curryong

Harry's busy day in the Leicester area included helping serve lunches, plaque unveiling, interacting with children at a school, (including a conversation about electric cars), kicking round a football and, hopefully, shaming a council into restoring some funding to a youth centre. I do hope his visit makes the council reconsider their cuts. I know councils and governments everywhere are struggling to find money for some important projects but in a deprived area any project that helps disadvantaged youth is vital. Well done to the people who arranged this visit as any bit of favourable publicity helps.

I write this a day after the Australian government, in an overnight sitting, passed a round of welfare cuts that will directly impact on the most vulnerable people in the community. We used to be a compassionate country, and I can't tell you how upset I am about this, not least because I work at a community charity and I know now we will be struggling with increased demand and no extra funding for the next few months.