News
Prince Harry attends reception to mark MapAction’s 50th mission
10th October 2007
Prince Harry last night attended a reception at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to mark MapAction’s 50th mission.
MapAction, of which the Prince is Patron, provides up-to-date maps for aid workers, featuring vital information in times of disaster. They work to highlight areas where medical help is needed, working bridges and transport routes and, in the wake of earthquakes, potential landing sites for helicopters.
MapAction is marking 50 successful missions since its first one to Sri Lanka following the Asian tsunami in 2004.
The organisation expressed hopes that Prince Harry would be able to join volunteers on an international expedition.
Roger Wedge, of MapAction, said prior to the reception in central London: "We're hoping the Prince may be able to deploy with us. There may be some difficulties with that but we're training him up."
Lynne Kirkham, one of the volunteers who chatted to the Prince, said: "He joked about how he could help with the VHF radio and with our radio voice procedures because of his Army training."
The non-governmental organisation is run by volunteers who sometimes find themselves deployed to disaster zones with just 24 hours' notice. They have recently helped following flooding in Ghana and after the hurricane in Jamaica.
Click here to read about Prince Harry's charities and patronages.