Duchess of Cornwall delivers sweet treats on trip to elderly charity

The Duchess of Cornwall was in good spirits as she delivered brownies baked at Clarence House to a west London charity Wednesday.

The Duchess gave the brownies to food parcels set to be given to members of The Pepper Pot Centre – a charity set up to support older African and Caribbean people in West London. The Duchess joined volunteers in sending hot meals of Caribbean oxtail and chicken with vegetables to about 30 pensioners. She also joked she baked the brownies herself.

Julie Mills, a local councillor and trustee of the centre, remarked: “I hear you made these yourself.”

To which the Duchess joked: “Of course I did. Would I lie to you?”

The Duchess then visited the games room where she met and chatted with the staff about support being offered during the pandemic. Support currently includes meal services, care, and advice on promoting healthy ageing and independent living.

She later joined in on a Zoom call with members of the centre where she heard about how members have been able to take part in virtual group activities throughout the pandemic while also being supported by meal services and phone calls from staff.

The drop-in centre is for recently retired, or disabled members of the elderly African Caribbean community. Set up in Ladbroke Grove nearly 40 years ago, the centre was established by the late activist Pansy Jeffrey who worked at the Citizens’ Advice Bureau in the 1970s.

The charity was set up after Jeffrey heard stories of hardship by early Caribbean settlers who came to London to furnish the labour market in the 1950s and 1960s. Upon retirement, they found themselves isolated and lonely in a foreign country. The Duchess was met by Jeffrey’s son, Howard, who is now chair of the organisation.

The Queen has visited the Pepper Pot Centre twice – first in 1981 when she opened the site and then in 2006 when she toured the hair salon, and art room to mark its 25th anniversary.

The Pepper Pot later secured permanent premises in Acklam Road and sufficient funding. The name “Pepper Pot” comes from an Amerindian dish made popular in Guyana. Jeffrey served the dish to a small group of pensioners who she first invited to lunch at the Bureau where she was working.