On March 19, 2020 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited The London Ambulance Service 111 Control Room.

As I write this millions all over the world are in self-isolation because of the Coronavirus or COVID-19. According to the World Health Organization this is a newly discovered virus that causes respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties and sadly as we are seeing in worse case scenarios all over the world pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Because of this rapidly spreading disease and the fear and panic it is currently causing, our first responders are being overwhelmed with the amount of people who need help and are seeking information.

Today, it was revealed that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited The London Ambulance Service 111 Control Room in Croydon to meet staff who have been taking NHS 111 calls from the public, and thank them for the vital work they are doing. During the visit, Their Royal Highnesses spoke to staff members and the Chief Executive of the London Ambulance Service, Garrett Emmerson, about how they are dealing with the increase in demand on the NHS 111 service.

They also heard about when members of the public can help alleviate pressure on the system by using advice available online at nhs.uk/coronavirus before contacting 111.

After the visit, The Duke released a statement saying in part: “Catherine and I were proud to visit staff working at NHS 111, to pass on our personal thanks, along with those of my grandmother and father, to staff working around the clock to provide care and advice to those that need it most.”

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Engagements & Tour Photos > 2020 > March 19 | Visiting The London Ambulance Service 111 Control Room

On January 15, 2020 The Duke and Duchess visited Bradford, one of the UK’s most diverse cities — to visit projects which support and promote community cohesion.

The Duke and Duchess started their day at the City Hall in Centenary Square where they joined a group of young people from across the community to hear about life in Bradford. They also met with representatives from local employers and businesses who are helping young people into employment. Afterwards, William and Catherine greeted excited locals.

Their next stop was to My Lahore, a British Asian restaurant chain which takes inspiration from Lahore, known as the Food Capital of Pakistan. There, The Duke and Duchess were greeted by CEO Asghar Ali and managing director Shakoor Ahmed before heading inside the kitchen to meet with students from Bradford College who are on a kitchen apprenticeship scheme. They then tried their hand at making Kulfi milkshakes, before sitting down to meet representatives from the UK Women’s Muslim Council and those who have benefited from the Council’s Curry Circle, an initiative that provides a hot two-course meal for people who are homeless or struggling to feed themselves.

William and Catherine then visited one of Bradford’s Khidmat Centres, whose main focus is to help the most vulnerable members of the community from minority ethnic backgrounds. They heard about the activities and workshops offered at the centre, and the organisations that they support and joined a session involving groups supported by Better Start Bradford, which delivers over 20 projects to pregnant women and families with children under the age of 4. From there they joined a Better Start Little Dots workshop, which uses music and play to support children’s social, emotional and physical development, while simultaneously supporting adult self esteem. They also joined a workshop with Near Neighbours, an organization that brings together people from religiously and ethnically diverse communities across the UK to get to know each other better.

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Engagements & Tour Photos > 2020 > January 15 | The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Visit Bradford