The Princess visiting ERIC today
The Princess Royal has been in Kingswood today, visiting Cossham Birth Centre and then the headquarters of ERIC, the Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity in Britannia Road.
The Cossham Birth Centre is part of North Bristol NHS Trust and was the first free-standing, midwife-led birth centre in Bristol.
The Princess, who is patron of the Royal College of Midwives, saw the state-of-the-art facilities that include four en-suite rooms, water pools in every birthing room and communal facilities for partners. She also met NHS maternity staff and mothers.
The Princess then drove herself in a silver Range Rover to ERIC where she found out how the charity supports children and teenagers and about the enhanced helpline and information service.
ERIC is a national charity which has been going since 1989 and over the last 27 years thousands of families have been helped.
The royal visitor met staff, trustees, supporters, and parents and children whom the organisation has helped including five-year-old Euan who presented her with a miniature version of the celebration cake she cut, which was decorated with the charity’s cartoon Wee and Poo characters.
She also met Chloe, who had drawn a picture of the princess and gave it her during her visit.
The charity’s founder Dr Penny Dobson was also there, as was the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire Dame Janet Trotter and the chairman of South Gloucestershire Council Erica Williams, who used to work on ERIC’s helpline.
Find out more about the charity here.
Chloe with her picture of the Princess
Euan presents the Princess with a miniature cake
