By Sheila Mckenzie-
The Prince and Princess of wales have arrived in Northern Ireland on their first visit since receiving their new titles following the accession of ki8ng Charles III. They will visit charities and organisations as part of their visit. They began with a visit to suicide prevention charity PIPS in north Belfast.
Belfast Lord Mayor Tina Black and Sinn Féin MP John Finucane were among those who welcomed the royal couple.
Inside, Elyse Quinn, 12, the daughter of the charity’s executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.
PIPS was founded in 2003 following the loss of 14 young people to suicide in Belfast over a shoe bomber
Compelled to act following the devastating events, stakeholders from across the city came together to try to tackle the issue. The charity delivers a range of tailored suicide prevention, counselling and bereavement support services, whilst also providing training to members of the public, helping them to spot those at risk of suicide and signpost them to support.
During their visit, Their Royal Highnesses will speak with PIPS Charity staff and counsellors about the life-saving work that the charity provides to service users and how the organisation has worked to remove all possible barriers to support those experiencing suicidal thoughts.
They will also be taking part in an art therapy session with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.
This includes employing a “no appointment needed” service and training its reception staff to be able to help members of the public in distress. Their Royal Highnesses will then meet with one of the charity’s clients who will speak about their personal challenges and how PIPS is supporting them to overcome these.
Since the start of the Covid pandemic the organisation has seen a significant rise in those reaching out for help, including an increase of over 500% among young people.
The Prince and Princess will be shown some of the techniques PIPS Charity uses to help children in need, including art therapy, before joining a group of volunteer counsellors in packing up the charity’s ‘Little Boxes of Hope’. These support packages are given to children following their time with the charity to assist their ongoing recovery and ensure that their parents and guardians feel better equipped to cope.
This includes employing a “no appointment needed” service and training its reception staff to be able to help members of the public in distress. Their Royal Highnesses will then meet with one of the charity’s clients who will speak about their personal challenges and how PIPS is supporting them to overcome these.
Prince William and Kate’s visit to Northern Ireland follows that of the King and Queen Camilla, who headed over the Irish Sea to Belfast in the early days of his new reign. It was part of Charles’ mission to tour all four nations of the United Kingdom soon after his mother’s death.
A palace source said the heir to the throne will continue to be “quite informal” in his approach but will not be afraid to speak out on “issues he feels passionate about like the previous Prince of Wales”.
Last week The Prince Of Wales intervened by calling for online safety for children and young people using social media to be a “prerequisite, not an afterthought.”
His remarks followed the conclusion of the inquest into the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell, in which a coroner had ruled for the first time that the negative effects of social media had contributed to a child’s death. The schoolgirl ended her life after she saved, shared or liked 2,100 self-harm or suicide-related posts over a period of six months, an inquest heard.
And on Wednesday, William marked the tenth anniversary of England’s national football centre at St George’s Park, where he met young footballers taking part in this year’s Street Child World Cup in Doha later this month, while Kate visited a mothers and babies unit in Guildford to emphasise her interest in early years development.