You don’t often get a Princess walking through Butlins. Half-term holidaymakers got a surprise when the Princess Royal visited the Minehead resort this week to join carers on a respite day.
The Princess is President of the Carers Trust and chatted and laughed with carers as she toured the resort and unveiled a plaque to recognise the support Butlins gives the charity. Staff have raised £250,000 over the past five years and the company has offered work experience to people who have looked after a sick or disabled family member or friend.
About 75 carers and their families were invited to meet the princess at the Somerset resort and enjoy Butlins’ fun activities including circus skills, arts and crafts, face-painting and story-telling.
Resort director Julian Highfield said: “This very special visit by HRH, The Princess Royal, means a huge amount to the team. Butlins has enjoyed working with the Carers Trust and is proud to have raised almost a quarter of a million pounds. We have also been fortunate to be able to offer some carers work experience in a number of departments.”
Carers Trust Ambassador Carole Cochrane said: “The Princess Royal is a very active President and having her support raises awareness for a charity supporting the six million carers in the UK. The carers invited to Butlins today have had a fantastic time, meeting the Princess, enjoying lunch and the resort’s facilities, a lovely day out which is something they don’t get very often.”
Tutsi Muchanyuka, 29, from Hackney, London – who personally thanked the Princess for helping carers – looked after his mother for 11 years up until her death last year. He was supported by the Trust and has now been given a job by Butlins in Bognor Regis after work experience. He said: “Today has been so exciting for all the carers here. The Trust gave me support in so many areas. It gave me my self-confidence back and the boost I needed to move my life forward.”
For more details on the Trust, see www.carers.org and www.youngcarers.net and for Butlins www.butlins.com
