Duchess Sophie rolled up her sleeves and got packing during a visit to charity The Lighthouse in Woking at the weekend.
As patron of The Lighthouse, the Duchess of Edinburgh helped volunteers pack up the charity’s current space ahead of the move. She was also shown around the organization’s temporary new home as renovations begin. Speaking to staff and volunteers over tea, Sophie heard about their plans for the coming year and how the charity aims to continue supporting vulnerable people as Woking’s High Street undergoes redevelopment.
The Lighthouse later shared photos from the visit on social media, writing: The Lighthouse later shared photos from the visit on social media, writing: “HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh visited The Lighthouse Woking and took the short walk to our new location around the corner.”
The charity currently operates across four locations in Woking, Barnsbury, Aldershot and Guildford.
The visit coincided with a strong appeal from Sophie on the international stage. In a piece written for The Telegraph, the Duchess urged the world not to ignore Sudan as the conflict reached a devastating milestone.
“As the world begins a new year, we are greeted with a stark and horrific milestone: 1,000 days of conflict in Sudan,” she wrote, describing it as “the world’s most serious humanitarian crisis.”
Sophie also reflected on visiting the Sudanese border last year, recalling a relentless stream of exhausted families crossing into Chad, often on foot or in donkey-drawn carts.
