Royal visit for Woking homeless charity

The Earl and Countess of Wessex spent time last week volunteering at the York Road Project’s temporary facility at the HG Wells Conference Centre in Woking.

Helping out in the kitchen preparing lunchtime snacks for clients of the charity, which provides support and accommodation to those experiencing homelessness in the town, the Royal couple made banana muffins, sausage rolls, cheese and onion twists and ginger biscuits.

Cherisse Dealtry, CEO of York Road Project, said: “It was lovely to welcome back The Countess of Wessex to volunteer again and to meet HRH the Earl of Wessex for the first time.

“We are honoured to have both of them come and volunteer with us for the morning and hear about the work we continue to do here in Woking.’’

Their Royal Highnesses also joined staff and volunteers to pack the weekly goody bags for the clients, containing items including fruit, snacks, toiletries and the necessities to make hot drinks.

Since the start of the pandemic York Road Project has continued to work to support those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Woking and surrounding areas.

Moving to HG Wells Conference Centre in March 2020 the project has supported over 170 individual clients, taking in couples and those with dogs so that no one rough slept.

The charity had to redesign its service, transforming from an 11-bed shelter to providing accommodation for 32 clients, this included building 10 purpose-built pods to accommodate the numbers at the start of the pandemic.

York Road Project also continued to support a further 20 clients in their move-on accommodation.