The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepped out for their second joint
outing in a row, as they visited Clitheroe Community Hospital in Lancashire on
Thursday. And the royal couple met an adorable new addition to the team!
Prince William and Kate were at
the hospital to learn about the challenges faced by rural health providers in
the face of the pandemic and to understand how NHS Charities Together is
supporting the mental health of the frontline workforce. The Duke and Duchess
became joint patrons of NHS Charities Together in December 2020.
The Cambridges met with GPs, nurses and others who work across the
community, both to understand their experiences and to congratulate them on
continuing to deliver a high standard of care for elderly and sick patients,
within the hospital and in the rural community, despite services being the
busiest on record.
Across East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, over £300,000 of funding
allocated by the charity has helped establish wellbeing services that support
over 9,000 staff, including break-out spaces, wellness packages, and
therapies.
At Clitheroe, this funding will provide a staff wellbeing room, among
other services.
William and Kate met the latest addition to the team, Alfie – an apricot
cockapoo puppy, who will be trained as a therapy dog to support patients and
colleagues at the hospital.
Kate described the pup as “so sweet” but, after
enjoying a cuddle, added: “Our dog is going to be very upset.”
The Cambridges are known to be dog lovers and previously owned an
English Cocker Spaniel named Lupo. The sweet dog sadly died in November 2020,
with William and Kate announcing the news on social media.
In 2020, Kate’s brother James Middleton gifted the family another
spaniel, an eight-month-old pup, whose name is yet to be revealed.
How adorable is little Alfie? It looked like the Duchess didn’t want to
let him go!
The couple later shared a hilarious tweet asking their
followers who the pup preferred.
The Cambridges donned face coverings as they spoke to staff
at Clitheroe Community Hospital.
William told staff: “We’re so grateful for all your hard work.
I’m not sure there are enough words to say how grateful everyone is for what
you have done.”
Lisa Kay, intensive home support service clinical lead, said: “That
was great to hear because it’s not every day you get a royal visit to say thank
you. It has been a huge morale boost.”
Kate looked as chic as ever in a delightful tonal outfit. Dressing
to perfection, she chose to recycle her limited edition cashmere wool camel coat from Massimo Dutti, which she layered over an elegant
camel-coloured roll neck.
The Duchess teamed her stylish outerwear with a merino wool-blend
turtleneck sweater from Iris and Ink and
coordinated skirt, sporting a pair of glamorous suede heeled boots for the
January chill.
Following their visit to the hospital, the Duke and Duchess travelled
to Church on the Street, run by Pastor Mick Fleming.
Mick is a former drug dealer who set up Church on the Street in 2019 to
help the homeless and people living in some form of poverty in Burnley and
surrounding area.
Since then, the project has grown and the Church now offers refuge and a
safe space for anyone in the community that may be struggling, including
those having difficulty with their mental health.
