Prince Harry visits Lancashire
Published 23 October 2017
His Royal Highness explored local projects in three areas that are priorities for his work: veterans, conservation, and the use of sport to drive positive social change.
Prince Harry visited Lancashire on 23 October 2017 for a day of engagements. Each local project Prince Harry visited highlights areas of particular interest to him: veterans, conservation and the use of sport to drive positive social change.
Firstly, Prince Harry began by visiting Veterans UK in Norcross, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Veterans UK Helpline Service. Created in 1992, the 24/7 national helpline provides welfare support for veterans and their families and works in partnership with charities, Combat Stress and the Samaritans.
Veterans UK, which is part of the Ministry of Defence, also administers the pension and compensation schemes for those injured or bereaved through service in the Armed Forces. Prince Harry is passionate about the lives of servicemen and women – establishing The Invictus Games in 2014, after serving in the British Army himself, for ten years.
Prince Harry then travelled to St Michael's on Wyre, in follow up to his visit to the flood affected village in February 2016. Around 1700 businesses and homes were damaged across the Lancashire district in the lead up to New Year in 2016. Today, Prince Harry officially reopened the village hall at a reception, surrounded by those who played a crucial role in response to the flooding crisis.
In the afternoon, His Royal Highness visited Myplace at Brockholes Nature Reserve, a project which aims to empower young people by encouraging them to take action in environmental activity to improve areas for wildlife, communities and their own wellbeing.
For his last visit during his time in Lancashire, Prince Harry stopped by the UCLan Sports Arena to see the Sir Tom Finney Soccer Development Centre and the Lancashire Bombers Wheelchair Basketball Club.
Prince Harry met some of the centre's members, a diverse group of people from all ages and abilities, that participate in training sessions and local leagues together. Prince Harry saw how the sports arena has become a place to build unique friendships and bring people together.
