Prince Harry to meet unsung community and health heroes
PRINCE HARRY will be in Leeds next week for a two-day tour celebrating some of the city’s and the region’s unsung community and health heroes.
To kick off the visit, the Royal – who recently launched the Heads Together campaign to end the stigma around young people and mental health – will be guest of honour at the Leeds Leads: Encouraging Happy Young Minds summit, being hosted by Leeds Community Foundation (LCF) on Thursday, July 6. The strictly invitation-only event aims to bring together and honour mental health projects funded through LCF’s latest initiative, The Leeds Fund.
Prince Harry will also conduct his first official engagement as patron of the Rugby Football League when he visits Headingley Carnegie stadium for the Sky Try Rugby League Festival. It is part of a seven-year programme to get 700,000 schoolchildren playing the game.
The extended royal visit will then see the prince supporting WellChild, a charity that works with children suffering from serious illnesses or life-altering conditions, and of which he is patron. Prince Harry will visit the family home of a five-year-old boy in Leeds, who will receive a garden makeover from WellChild’s Helping Hands programme.
The prince will then travel to Leeds Children’s Hospital, where he will meet a specialist nurse as well as a group of the children and families who have been helped by her work.
Harry will conclude his visit to the region with a visit to confectionary firm Haribo’s new facility in Castleford.
Speaking of the mental health summit that will kick-off the royal visit, Sally-Anne Greenfield, CEO of Leeds Community Foundation, said: “We are very excited and proud that Prince Harry will meet some of the individuals that have benefited from the amazing work that is being delivered across Leeds.”
Harry has been in the news this week with reports that he admitted he once “wanted out” of the Royal Family.
His confession follows comments in which he said he doubted any of the royals “wants to be king or queen”.