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.

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

Exactly. It's just the disparity between one of the richest men in the UK (William) and a photo opportunity at one of the saddest but most necessary initiatives... foodbanks to feed the scandalous numbers of those below the poverty line.

I just can't get my head round it

Could be they sent donations of food or money.

Hm yes, perhaps they should ignore the fact that there are poor people and concentrate on fancy dinners with the rich and famous. I'm sure all the criticism would stop then.

Could be. Might not be.

There was a lot of in the media about Charles's fridges so I imagine it would be made public if they did.

They don't do visits - lazy doolittles. They do visits - not enough, should do more, should give money, yada yada yada.

Just admit it, there's not a thing they could do where your response would be 'great, drawing attention to a good thing, shining a light on volunteers.'

Personally (and I don't speak for the OP) I have said twice in posts... good for morale for the volunteers. Good for raising awareness.

But I still feel uncomfortable about it as I've explained in previous posts.

I think we should return to the olden tradition of the Royals driving through Windsor in a horse drawn carriage scattering golden coins at the gathered crowd of penniless subjects.

That would be much more entertaining.

If the country was run properly there would be NO NEED for any charitable organisation focused on humans.

The history of charitable giving in this country goes back centuries.

www.want2donate.org/giving-guide/history-of-british-charities

drawing attention to a good thing

Food banks are not a "good thing." They are a symptom of economic injustice. In a just society, there is no need for food banks.

They are necessary in an injust society to feed people who have been left out. And I suppose very rich people visiting them does highlight that so perhaps that's a good thing.

They may well have made a private donation for all we know.Honestly they can't win.Travel 15 minutes and get criticised.It's their children's schools charity.If they had hopped on a helicopter for a long distance visit that would be wrong as well.

MargaritaRita · Today 14:28
If the country was run properly there would be NO NEED for any charitable organisation focused on humans.

Hardly the fault of the RF. But maybe if we elected our Leader......
Oh...maybe not

Also wtf was Princess Diana doing working with a food bank when she was a wealthy woman. What a disparity, not a good look etc etc etc ad nauseam and still no sense forthcoming.

Diana volunteered at a soup kitchen. There were no foodbanks. She also took William and Harry to volunteer.
Harry also regularly visited a youth project in Nottingham.
So security is not the issue.

And my issue with this visit is that it is clearly a photo op for William and Kate. What benefit does the foodbank get? The volunteers get to meet a celebrity, that is all. But there is no awareness raising, people know foodbanks exist. And there was no attempt to encourage people to donate or when posting on Royal Family social media to even give a link to a donation page.

The lack of links to even a donation page makes it crystal clear that neither they or their team care about the foodbank. It was a photo op, nothing more.

Hm I wonder if the world of terrorism and security has changed at all in the last 30 years 🤔

The point still stands whether she was at a food bank or a soup kitchen.

Diana seen in media visiting charity for poor people = good, walk the walk not talk the talk

William and Kate seen in media visiting charity for poor people = disparity, too wealthy, not a good look, photo op, making themselves look good, grotesque and insulting

Yes, I found it odd that there was no link on their Tweet about their visit to the foodbank.

Why wouldn't you highlight it

Yet if it was Meghan and Harry you would be singing their praises.

Hardly likely as tTey are non taxpayer funded Royals who do not carry out royal duties and who live thousands of miles away. Why drag them into this.

Not really sure what your point is OP. This is what the RF do, they raise awareness and having royal visitors is guaranteed to get into the media , and how do you know they don't donate goods from the Windsor shop?

Because you won’t hear a word against Meghan and Harry and slag off William and Kate whatever they do, you moan constantly about people criticising Meghan and Harry yet you do the same to William and Kate, constantly.

Not really sure what your point is OP. This is what the RF do, they raise awareness and having royal visitors is guaranteed to get into the media

Apparently it would be better if they spent 8hrs per week at the same place, so less media attention and other places they could have been visiting miss out. That would be walking the walk all right.

Do not make this thread a PA on me. I have criticised H&M in the past. I have criticised K&W in the past. But I don't do either constantly.

Hope that helps. Maybe read the thread title before it descends into your favourite subject... slagging off the couple who don't live here.

Touched a nerve clearly.

I think they have plenty of spare 8hrs in their week.