Prince William and Kate 'not shying away' from cost of living crisis
The Prince of Wales seemed to have a real impact on one little girl during a visit to Scarborough, as he wants to make sure royal visits create more of a "lasting legacy".
Callie Rose, who's two years old, ignored the rest of the audience and rushed up to Prince William as he was making an impromptu speech at a community centre in North Yorkshire.
Just as the prince was saying "For Katherine and I the legacy of today, is bringing people together and collaborating...", Callie rushed over and then ran off.
Clearly used to having children of his own who don't always do as they're told William laughed and carried on.
He said: "I think bringing people together and showing what can be done when a community helps together collaboratively is really something we would like to follow up on and I hope that can be represented more widely across the country. So you're leading where I hope others will follow so well done for making it all happen today."
Callie, dressed in a princess dress, had already met the royal couple when she gave them a bouquet and picture when they arrived.
The visit to Scarborough was celebrating a new kind of partnership between the couple's charity, the Royal Foundation, and local groups, with the foundation using its expertise and profile to help organisations in the area secure almost £400,000 in funding.
The new way of working has been spurred on by the royal couple wanting to revamp the way their visits work to make sure they create a "lasting legacy and impact" on the places they go to.
William and Kate met donors and young people who will decide how the new funding is spent on a variety of projects to support mental health.
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In his speech, Prince William described how he'd been told that finding a safe space for young people to go and food were particular concerns.
Ahead of the visit to Scarborough, Sky News was told the cost of living crisis has become a key focus for William and Kate, and the team at their Royal Foundation, with a source saying: "The cost of living crisis is a lens through which they're now looking at their work."
While it's understood the prince and princess are mindful of their own privileged position, a palace source said "they are not shying away from the issue" of the rising cost of living and are keen to "support the hard-pressed" in "parts of the country that need a light shone on them".
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Two neighbourhood wards in Scarborough are in the top 10 most deprived places in England, with many facing challenges in terms of unemployment, poverty and lack of opportunities for young people.
Jan Garrill, chief executive of the Two Ridings Community Foundation, has been working with the Royal Foundation.
She believes the impact of rising costs will cause more damage than COVID in the long term for many families.
But she said the royal visit was important for celebrating the positive work that is going on - "that focus on place and people is great for us. It amplifies what we do in a way".
It's understood the Royal Foundation is planning other pilots of the "Community Impact Days" next year across other areas of their work. Those could potentially include homelessness and supporting families with young children.
