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Back where she gave her first speech: Kate visits children's hospice
The Princess of Wales visited The Treehouse children's hospice in Ipswich, where she gave her first public speech in 2012. She met children and families, toured the expansion and surprised shoppers at a charity shop afterwards.
The Princess of Wales visited The Treehouse, a children's hospice in Ipswich in the east of England, on Thursday. She is Royal Patron of the charity behind it, East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), which cares for children and young people who are not expected to reach adulthood, and their families. It also supports families who have lost a child.
For the Princess it was a visit with a history of its own. This is where she gave her very first public speech, when The Treehouse opened in 2012, the year after she married Prince William. EACH was one of the first charities she chose to support.
Memories for life
The Princess met the children receiving care at the hospice, and their families. She saw the activities the hospice organises so that families can spend good time together and make memories, even in the final days. She praised the "extraordinary" care the children and families receive.
A pool and a space for teenagers
The Treehouse is now being expanded so that more families in Suffolk and Essex can get help. The Princess toured the building site, wearing a hard hat and high-visibility vest. The plans include a bigger pool, where warm water both relieves pain and gives families fun time together. There will also be a dedicated area for therapy and counselling, a larger activity room, a space just for teenagers, an extra children's bedroom and a bigger kitchen.
A surprise at the charity shop
Afterwards the Princess went to Café '98 in Hoveton in Norfolk, the only café run by EACH. It is inside one of the charity's shops. Director of Retail Ian Nicolson showed her around, and she talked with café manager Morgan Rose-Neary about how the café has become a meeting place for the local community.
The visit was not announced in advance, and shoppers were taken by surprise. The Princess had a coffee, helped sort donated clothes and chatted with many of those there. More than a hundred people eventually gathered outside.
To some children she met, she said her own children were breaking up for half term the next day: "I can't wait to have them all home."
