The Duchess of Cornwall has been out and about for a busy day of engagements in Brixton visiting Ebony Horse Club and Dwaynamics boxing club.
The Duchess arrived on the morning of October 13th 2020 and started her day by meeting children, staff and volunteers at Ebony Horse Club. The club provides opportunities for about 140 young people each week to ride and care for horses. The Duchess has been a longtime supporter of the charity and became its president in 2009.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe club’s mission is to use horses to raise the standards of education, wellbeing and life skills as well as the aspirations of young people from disadvantaged communities.
During the pandemic, people were not allowed to visit the club but, instead, the charity showed support by guiding families on where to get advice and weekly video calls were arranged to let participants virtually visit competition venues.
The club also became a hub for the National Schools Breakfast Club. Each week, essential provisions for 80 local children were distributed.
The Duchess then made her way to Dwaynamics Boxing Club to meet with staff and students to learn how the centre has impacted their lives.
Embed from Getty ImagesGreeted by Chief Executive, Pastor Lorraine Jones, the Duchess heard more about the services designed to steer at-risk youth away from gang-culture, knife crime, and gun violence. The programme was set up by Pastor Lorraine after her son was stabbed in 2014.
Children are encouraged to attend boxing classes twice a week, free of charge.
After watching a class demonstration, the Duchess said to Pastor Lorraine: “I think wherever your son is, he would be very proud of you.
“You can see the pleasure in their faces, each and every one of them are overjoyed to be here,” she added. “That’s why projects like this are so important, they are the very heart of the community. I will always treasure the memory of coming here and meeting you all.”
