Charity Engagement Yesterday

[AshTreesEverywhere]

The Royal Family attend public engagements that are jollies such as Film Premiers and Wold Cup Finals. But yesterday William and Kate visited a Food Bank. So what did this work involve?

William and Kate travelled 10-15 minutes to the Windsor Foodshare, a food bank. They played around with a shopping cart and cracked “jokes” about who was being more useful (neither). They met with some of the food bank workers and barely spent an hour on this photo-op.

That is one of their average 150 engagements a year.

Absolutely they do deserve recognition. I also agree with Roussette's posts.

Raising awareness? Do you not think people know Foodbanks exist?
And on their social media the Royals posted photos of William and Kate. They did not give details of how to donate or encourage people to donate. It was clearly a photo op for William and Kate. Nothing more.

Yes she did. It's all about 'walk the walk'
And not 'talk the talk'.

I just don't know why they aren't embarrassed by this visit. Yes... tick... it brings awareness. Yes.... tick... a boost for the volunteers. But why the heck they could not have stayed a whole shift and got stuck in so they could see exactly what it is like to be on your feet for hours packing boxes, I do not know.

Why could they not have donated food from Windsor Farm shop, which stocks goods from the Royal Estate and Duchy of Cornwall?

Probably because all the republicans drawn to the Royal Family board like moths to a flame would then start complaining about how patronising of the couple to just hand out expensive food that food bank recipients can't afford and treating foodbank users like charity cases and why don't they actually turn up and see how a food bank works? which they did, except that's wrong as well.

Nowhere on any news report does it say so. I have seen footage of them arriving. No boxes. If you know different, happy to be corrected. Perhaps they went in the back door!

I haven't criticised bags of homemade pasta, that's a good thing in my book

Yes, even the most 'casual' royal visit involves extensive security prep.

If it were known that a royal was making regular visits to the same place, even if on 'random' days, it would put not only them but everyone working in and using the food bank at risk, and also case massive disruption to their work.

Maybe I am speaking on a personal level. I could not turn up at a foodbank empty handed. I could not turn up and pack boxes for 10 minutes and not get stuck in.
Oh well... Royalty are Different aren't they

Nowhere on any news report does it say so. I have seen footage of them arriving. No boxes.

'I didn't see it and no-one said it happened, so it didn't happen.' 🙄

Random different foodbanks then?

There's always an excuse not to isn't there

I will repeat again. Happy to be corrected if so. Nowhere shown for that to be the case.

So let's say 'who knows' then.
I imagine doubtful but that is my opinion. Yours may vary.

Tut tut OP

On these threads we always get told that

The royals have to do more preparation for these events than we will ever know

Don't they do better than any potential president of a republic (with all his / her degrees, relevant experience backing of the electorate) could ever do? Mmh? Think about Boris!

Isn't it great that they are raising awareness of needy causes? It seems that some people didn't know about foodbanks but Wills and Kate have swept in to put an end to that - the plight of the poor has now been highlighted, the tireless volunteers have been rewarded with a few minutes of "did you come far" and other insightful questions that show how engaged and enthusiastic the royals are and that "they know their stuff".

This is the best possible way to spend public money. It probably didn't cost anything anyway. And even if it did, you aren't stupid enough to think that the equivalent amount would help the NHS / underpaid public sector workers / poor infrastructure? Don't be daft. We live in the best possible world and with any other party in government things would be much much worse.

Poor Catherine is a mother of three and she is busier than you will ever be. And didn't she look lovely? You are just bitter and jealous of her swishy hair.

Well it's more than Harry and Meghan are doing, isn't it? Wait, are you saying that Meghan actually used to volunteer at soup kitchens? You must be team Sussex / a paid bot / naive / lack critical skills.

Etc etc.

By the way that was sarcasm. I totally agree with you OP. That there food banks is a symptom of a breaking, failing society. For someone as privileged as the heir to the throne plus one to go there for a few minutes to make themselves look good is grotesque and insulting.

I for one would welcome them actively sharing their wealth with others, which they never seem to do. A regular donation from their ample stocks would be fantastic.

So every 'random different foodbank' has to be swept by security in advance, the staff vetted, guards posted at doors, all visitors and staff searched, routes to the random different foodbanks' approved by security staff? Just to pack boxes for a few hours?

I could not turn up and pack boxes for 10 minutes and not get stuck in

🎖

Yes. Mixing with the real people might be good for them.

Incidentally the staff at this foodbank had no idea that they were coming so I doubt your James Bond sweeping for bombs actually happened. They had no idea till they walked through the door apparently.

The Manager of the foodbank and deputy knew. No one else, I should add.

@DewinDwl
Great post
😂

So it's about 'what's good' for the Prince and Princess of Wales, not what would be of benefit to the charity?

And I'd be very surprised if the premises were not examined by security at some point prior to their arrival. Certainly it will have been very closely guarded during the time they were there. No way that's not going to be highly disruptive for the food bank's work.

Why do you think that? I don't

Benefit for both.

You don't know what security entails, you are just imagining what it might be.

I knew the food bank visit would trigger a lot of sour responses. Utterly predictable and hilarious.

Maybe that means there's something in the responses?

Just a thought.

Far better publicity would have been a donation of a million or so quid to the food bank charity, done quietly and publicised later.

But quite frankly, publicising the fact that food banks exist - by an extremely wealthy family - is not a good look in public. Lipservice to a service that should not exist.

No, I don't know the exact details as the public usually isn't privy to such matters.

However, I'm pretty certain that a premises being visited by the heir to the throne and his wife would undergo extensive security checks. Especially one which is open to the public. The cost and disruption involved would easily outweigh any potential benefits to all those concerned.

Princess Diana used to volunteer and do a proper shift.

How do you know that? OMG was it in the papers? What a bitch, using food banks as a photo op and to make herself look good, grotesque and insulting, right?