Focus
Prince Harry and WellChild
1st June 2009
In March 2007 Prince Harry became Royal Patron of WellChild - the national charity for sick children in the United Kingdom.
Prince Harry has an affinity with children and young people, and set up his charity Sentebale to help children orphaned by AIDS in Lesotho in Southern Africa.
Through WellChild, Prince Harry is able to show his support for vulnerable young people in the United Kingdom.
2007 was WellChild’s 30th Anniversary year, and to help mark the occasion Prince Harry and his brother Prince William invited more than 100 seriously ill young people to join them for a special lunch at Wembley Stadium as they inspected final preparations for the Concert for Diana.
The Princes had selected WellChild to be one of the charities to benefit from the concert which, although primarily a tribute to their mother rather than a fundraising event, managed to raise more than £150,000 for each of the charities.
This special occasion was fun for all and the mother of a 12-year-old boy suffering from Batten’s Disease was delighted to see her son smile for the first time in many months.
Later that year Prince Harry was guest of honour at the 2007 annual WellChild Awards which recognise the bravery of severely ill children and celebrates the dedicated doctors, nurses, teachers, brothers and sisters who go the extra mile to make a difference to their lives.
Prince Harry joined a host of celebrities at the ceremony in London and presented each of the young award-winners with a commemorative medal.
During 2008, Prince Harry learnt more about the work of WellChild nurses and the families they support. Funded by the charity, the nurses provide a lifeline of support to families and their work ensures that despite a child’s illness, the family can still live at home together.
Prince Harry attended the WellChild Awards again in December 2008. He chatted with families at a reception and had fun with all ages, from toddlers climbing onto his lap to sharing jokes about rival rugby teams with teenagers.
As Royal Patron of WellChild, Prince Harry continues to support the charity whenever he can, meeting families and young people and writing messages of support.
About WellChild
WellChild helps sick children and their families throughout the UK as they deal with the consequences of serious illness and complex conditions by focusing on three key areas - care, support and research. WellChild provides a team of WellChild Children's Nurses who work with families to ensure that children with complex care needs can leave hospital and be cared for at home.
In addition, WellChild’s Helping Hands scheme enlists the support of volunteers to tackle practical projects in the homes of sick children, and the charity has also invested more than £20million in ground-breaking children's health research projects.
Click here to visit the website: www.wellchild.org