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News

TRH visit Christie Hospital and Gorton Monastery in Greater Manchester

7th February 2007

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited a specialist cancer hospital and saw the ongoing restoration of a monastery during a visit to Greater Manchester today.

Their Royal Highnesses toured the city's Christie Hospital, a specialist cancer hospital which won an award from The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH) in 2003 for its growing complementary therapy service.

The Prince of Wales founded FIH in 1993 to encourage greater collaboration between conventional and complementary practitioners and to facilitate the development of integrated healthcare.

Their Royal Highnesses spoke for several minutes to an aromatherapy specialist at the service who is investigating how certain essential oils can lower the risk of infections, including from superbug MRSA.

Dr Jacqui Stringer, 44, clinical lead complementary therapist at the hospital, is working with Manchester University to develop a special mix of oils to put in a protective gel wash.

Ms Stringer said: "He was very interested in my work - genuinely so - and his questions were pertinent. He's very knowledgeable and charming."

The Prince of Wales is Patron to a number of cancer charities including Marie Curie Cancer Care, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the Breast Cancer Haven Trust, Bristol Cancer Help Centre and Macmillan Cancer Relief.

The Duchess of Cornwall also has a special interest in health and is President or Patron to a number of health-related charities including the National Osteoporosis Society and Trinity Hospice.

The Prince and The Duchess spent more than 20 minutes in the hospital's Relaxation Room, talking to patients receiving therapies such as reflexology and acupuncture to help ease the nausea, pain, anxiety and insomnia associated with cancer.

David Battersby, who is battling leukaemia, told The Duchess that reflexology seemed to be having a positive impact on the liver problems associated with his cancer.

Mr Battersby, from Milnthorpe, Kendal, said: "From what she said to me, it seems both her and The Prince have had complementary therapy treatments themselves, including reflexology.

"They're big fans, I think. She said it had been benefited them."

He added: "They're very nice people, easy to talk to, and they seemed in good spirits."

Their Royal Highnesses were also shown the hospital's new £7 million, eight-bed critical care unit for cancer patients.

Before Their Royal Highnesses left for their next engagement at Gorton Monastery, The Duchess was given a posy of flowers by the four-year-old son of a former cancer sufferer.

Debbie Worthington, from Blackrod, thought she was infertile after cancer treatment until she realised she was seven months pregnant with Dylan while doing a sponsored walk to raise money for the hospital.

Chief Executive of the Christie Hospital, Caroline Shaw, said: "It is a huge honour to have The Prince and Duchess visit two of our outstanding services in helping cancer patients recover."

Afterwards, Their Royal Highnesses visited the Gorton monastery in East Manchester to see the ongoing restoration of the building and hear about the plans to use it as a conference and community centre.

For many years The Prince of Wales has worked to regenerate heritage buildings for the benefit of the local community and launched The Prince’s Regeneration Trust to continue the work of his Phoenix Trust and Regeneration Through Heritage.

The Grade II* listed monastery, designed by Edward Pugin and built between 1863 and 1872, had been allowed to into decline, but with Lottery and European funding it will be restored in three months.

The building, which is of great historical importance, will play a vital role in regenerating the local area.

As Their Royal Highnesses toured the building they heard about plans to establish a heritage skills academy at Gorton.

The Prince and The Duchess were shown various master classes in crafts such as stone masonry, woodworking and joinery in the cloisters to give an idea of the types of skills taught by the academy.

The Prince joined in the stone masonry lesson, donning goggles and chipping away with a chisel and mallet.

"He was good - a natural," said pupil Kadir Ali, 16, from Ardwick.

"I lent him my stuff so he could have a go. He told me stone masonry would be a good career to go in to."

The Prince of Wales joked with those braving the icy chill to tour the monastery: "It's like being in the deep freeze compartment of a fridge in here."

He also paid tribute to those taking part in the restoration project. The Prince said: "It's an enormous pleasure to meet so many dedicated individuals who, it seems to me, are performing literally minor miracles, and in some case major ones, in their efforts to breath life back in to this place.

"You should be hugely proud of what you've achieved in this splendid community-led regeneration project."

The Prince is a keen supporter of traditional craft skills and said that Britain needs more centres of excellence in craft skills.

Former hostage Terry Waite, who is a Patron of the monastery's trust, attended the visit.

Mr Waite said: "If you looked at this building ten years ago, it was decrepit and vandalised in the middle of a community that was dispirited.

"But here you are today with a great restoration project under way. This area of Manchester used to have real spirit but it lost its heart. Now we can hope to find it again with this monastery."

Paul Griffiths, Chairman of the Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust said: "This special visit is recognition of the efforts made to save the building by the trustees and local community over the last ten years.

"Having the royal seal of approval makes all our hard work worthwhile."

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