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.

@hoooops as stated upthread, security would be a nightmare. Word would soon get out that they were visiting regularly, a gift to anyone who would wish them harm

No? I just get bored out my skull with every thread descending into H&M bashing when it is clearly a different subject we are trying to talk about.

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

Do you? Based on what? The OP reckons they do 150 engagements, plus all the other stuff. Sounds pretty full on to me.

And if they did, would that time be best used to bring no publicity or awareness to a single cause, or spread out to bring publicity and awareness to several?

so the middletons just used a food bank visit as a photo op? were the users of the food bank allowed in whilst this was happening?

And of course how is Diana walking the walk by appearing in the media at a charity for poor people, whereas W+K are doing it to look good?

I for one have positive feelings toward William and Catherine to the extent that I know anything about them. I think they are likely good-hearted well-intentioned people. What I have a problem with is the normalizing of food banks and the "poor will always be with us" notions that often underpin them. We, and by that I mean wealthy and highly developed societies, need to work on the underlying causes of poverty, especially governmental policies that contribute to so many people being left out of the bounty.

Well I did notice you said this...

if you allow an average of 1.5 days per engagement for strategy and planning, prep, travel to engagement, do the engagement, travel back from engagement and debrief, that's 225 days / 45 weeks full time per year

It was so preposterous to think they spend 1.5 days strategy and planning and preparation and travel and debrief on every visit... I was at a loss what to say, to be honest. Their schedule is hardly taxing.

No? I just get bored out my skull with every thread descending into H&M bashing when it is clearly a different subject we are trying to talk about

Ever thought of just not reading this board, then? I mean, you're a self-confessed republican. I'd have thought it would be of no interest to you whatsoever. It's like me (lifelong no interest whatsoever in football) going onto the sports board and moaning about whatever team is currently having poor form/sacking their manager/having trouble with fans. What's the point of it for you if it bores and irritates you so much?

(Now waiting for the posts telling me not to police what people post and where 🙄)

Why would they need 1.5 days to plan a 1 hour trip to a foodbank, or a debrief?
It took them 1.5 hours to travel to and from the foodbank and do the visit.

They work on average 1 day a week. So certainly not full on.
Maybe we should advertise their jobs?

You post where you want, as will I !!

I have stopped going on to lots of the RF threads, particularly the ones about H&M, as they just regurgitate the same old shit. I'm conspicuous by my absence lol. So you are totally correct, stepping back is the way to go.

This one caught my eye because I had just been reading about their visit to the local foodbank and I had an opinion. That is all.

What I want is for them to do things that help the charity they visit. Not just visit as a photo op.
So they could have taken donations and made a short speech asking others to give donations. And then posted on social media the bloody link to the donations page for the foodbank, instead of just posting photos of William and Kate.

And I thought William and Kate were going to do charity visits differently with lots of work beforehand to help them increase income? That is what they announced before as a justification for not doing many visits. That idea has been ditched. Maybe it was looking too much like hard work?

Perhaps they should be out delivering bundles to those unable ti travel? Would that be better?

It was so preposterous to think they spend 1.5 days strategy and planning and preparation and travel and debrief on every visit... I was at a loss what to say, to be honest. Their schedule is hardly taxing.

I mean I don't know of course, but on average I reckon that's not too far out. I imagine there's some work involved in planning which organisations they want to cover, how/when they are scheduled and what they and the organisation want the engagement to involve and what the org wants to get out of it, I can't imagine they turn up knowing nothing about the place or who they're meeting so there is prep involved, they do have to get there and back, some are further away than others, some last longer than others, I would be surprised if they do these events and they are never mentioned again afterwards. All of that takes time. It's pretty basic stuff if you have any experience of planning even quite small events or meetings.

I just get bored out my skull with every thread descending into H&M bashing when it is clearly a different subject we are trying to talk about

And I get bored out of my skull with other pishy mealie mouthed threads descending into a W&K or general RF bashing when it is clearly about another subject like H&M.

Fault lies on both sides.

So OP - YOU want them to do more. Do a full day of graft, empty their pantry. Whatever. We have no idea what was done privately or not done.

What do you do?

Absolutely. Hopefully people will donate to food banks who have never thought of it. It seems to have raised the morale of volunteers too. Double win.

@hoooops The staff do all that.

I don't think food banks need their profile raised .
People are referred to them via GPs and social workers
But W and K certainly needed a PR boost .
Tone deaf to turn up empty handed .
Who is advising them ??
The PR is transparent

That food banks exist in this day is an utter disgrace
That the royals still exist in current form is also a disgrace

I believe William said they'll return to help out without any cameras present.

@AshTreesEverywhere do you know anything about ash trees? I'm worried mine is in die off.

@ArcaneWireless

Want them to do more ??
I'd like them to pay their taxes for a start - the unpaid inheritance tax from Elizabeth would solve a fair few problems
I'd lie the to be subject to law - not above it as and when they decide

I'd be more impressed I'd they did it every Thursday morning, and Wills kept his sexist 'banter' to himself.

You just want to get rid of them altogether. It's so transparent.

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

Perhaps they did. Perhaps the do it regularly on condition the donations remain anonymous.

@Roussette

Maybe they already do. Maybe they just prefer to be more discreet about it and don't do these types of things to get attention and praise. And probably so people cannot accuse them of only doing it to make themselves look good.

"Prince William playfully teased Kate Middleton for ‘nattering too much'"

aka Prince William was sexist towards Kate.

How is that sexist?