Royal visit shines spotlight on work of learning disability charity Hft at Queensferry’s Hwb Cyfle

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited Hwb Cyfle, a day centre at the Queensferry Campus run by learning disability charity Hft, last week, to learn more about the varied work the charity carries out in Flintshire to support learning disabled adults.

The Princess Royal is already familiar with the work Hft does as she has been the charity’s Royal Patron for over 40 years. She met with people who are supported by the service, Hft staff, trustees, families, donors and representatives from Flintshire County Council.

The Princess Royal also had the opportunity to learn about Hft’s other work such as its supported employment scheme with DFN Project SEARCH, and its friendship service, Luv2meetU.

Jordan Smith, Hft’s Head of Care and Support for the North, says, “Tuesday’s visit was a brilliant opportunity to speak to Her Royal Highness and showcase Hft’s services in Flintshire.

It was a proud moment to share the growth of our varied services including our supported internship programmes, our sensory rooms and workshops which provide learning disabled adults with beneficial skills.

“The people we support thoroughly enjoyed meeting The Princess Royal and it was a pleasure to be able to witness this.”

During the visit, Her Royal Highness also had the opportunity to visit one of Hft’s sensory rooms which provides sensory interaction and therapy sessions for learning disabled adults, which is found to be beneficial for people with complex needs.

The Princess Royal then witnessed soap-making and upcycling workshops, met visiting therapy dogs and spoke with some people Hft support in the day services as they showed off their baking skills.

Reflecting on meeting The Princess Royal, one of the people supported by Hft said, “I cried when I saw her, I couldn’t believe I met a royal! She looked lovely, was really polite and spoke to everyone.” Another added, “I loved it. I have seen her on the TV before but never in real life. She was lovely!”

Moving to the garden, Her Royal Highness met Hft’s Horticulture Group and supporters who raise vital funds for the service’s sustainability.

The visit concluded with a celebratory cake cutting and a few words from Hft’s Chair of the Board of Trustees, Amanda Bunce, and Her Royal Highness herself.

Following the event, Kirsty Matthews, Hft’s CEO, said:

“We were delighted to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to Hwb Cyfle as a dedicated and long-standing Hft Royal Patron and were honoured to have the opportunity to share how our services are evolving in Wales.

“The people we support, our staff, the families who attended and I were proud to show The Princess Royal around our Flintshire services. Her continued support towards Hft and learning disabled adults is especially appreciated.”