His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge will visit The Fire Fighters Charity’s Harcombe House centre in Chudleigh, Devon on 9 September – Emergency Services Day – to recognise the work of the Charity in supporting the UK’s fire services community.
His Royal Highness will be taken on a guided tour of the Charity’s newly renovated centre, which supports individuals, couples and families recovering from or living with poor mental health, injury and chronic illness, or supporting those adjusting to everyday living following a life-changing event.
Chief Executive of The Fire Fighters Charity, Dr Jill Tolfrey, said of the visit: “We are hugely honoured that The Duke of Cambridge has chosen to visit us on Emergency Services Day, to hear more about the work that we do to support the UK’s fire services community and to meet some of the people we have supported over recent months.
“Fire and rescue service personnel can face extreme situations on a daily basis, whether working as frontline firefighters, or in control and support roles. These can take a significant mental and physical toll on individuals and teams and we have seen a significant increase in demand for our mental health support services over recent years. We hope that His Royal Highness’s visit will help to highlight the importance of supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of those who work in the fire and rescue service, so they can, in turn, support us all when we need them.”
Harcombe House has undergone a £1.8m refurbishment, funded by The Fire Fighters Charity and supported by a successful bid for LIBOR grant funding. As well as its state of the art gym, hydrotherapy pool and swimming pool, the new centre now boasts a range of dedicated rooms and spaces designed to support individuals and groups with their mental health.
During his visit to Harcombe House, The Duke will meet beneficiaries, many of whom reached out to the Charity for support with their mental health.
For more information please visit: www.firefighterscharity.org.uk
