Coventry man invited to the Royal wedding
A COVENTRY man who set up an independent charity to work with young people across the city has been invited to the Royal Wedding in May.
Rashid Bhayat, the founder and CEO of the Positive Youth Foundation (PYF), has received the invite from Kensington Place to the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales and Meghan Markle on Saturday, May 19, in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
He is one of 1,200 members of the public invited to the most talked about event of the year and is an opportunity for him to showcase the work the Foundation has been doing since it was established in 2011.
Rashid, who hosted the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at PYF when they visited Coventry earlier this year, said: “I am absolutely delighted and honoured - it’s a great opportunity.
“It’s a historic event and I am proud as a true Cov kid to be representing the city and its young people on the day.
“Ultimately, this is a testament to everybody connected with Positive Youth Foundation, to all of the young people we support, our trustees and supporters.
“I left education early and, as a teenager, I just needed people to believe in me - thankfully someone did and I started my first organisation at the age of 17 and haven’t looked back.
“So I know that the young people in the city today need a start in life and, at PYF, we work with thousands of young people each year, supporting them in a variety of different ways, most importantly, those that find themselves in challenging circumstances.
“It’s crucial that, in any city across the land, there is investment of time and money into our young people and that they get the opportunities to succeed.
“Over recent months, our profile as an organisation has been raised massively through our work with Coventry’s UK City of Culture bid and then through the visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
“That, of course, is the glamorous side of the work we do but I am keen to ensure that any profile we get through these amazing opportunities serve to highlight the real need for continued support.”