The Duchess of Cambridge met children and their families during a visit to a hospice on Tuesday morning. Kate, who is royal patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, visited one of the charity's facilities in Quidenham, Norwich.
Upon her arrival, Prince George and Princess Charlotte's mum was presented flowers by Nell Cork, a young girl whose brother Finnbar died aged five last year.
During the engagement, Kate was given a tour of the facilities. She met families and sat in on an art therapy session, where children and their parents used the equipment in the sensory room.
Kate was presented flowers by Nell Cork
Prince William's wife, 35, was also introduced to some of the staff and volunteers, who updated the royal on their plans for a new site. Since its opening in 1991, the increasing number of children who visit Quidenham means the hospice has outgrown its current site.
A new purpose-built hospice, The Nook, is being built in Framingham Earl to help support families in the area. Kate helped launch the £10m Nook Appeal in 2014, and she was no doubt interested to hear about their fundraising progress.
"The Nook appeal will transform children's palliative care across Norfolk and we are moving ever closer to the halfway mark of £5 million," said EACH Chief Executive Graham Butland. "We still have some way to go before the new hospice can be built, though, and we need continued help from individuals, trusts and events, and as much corporate and community support as possible."
The Duchess met families who use the services
EACH at Quidenham supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions from across Norfolk. Their family-centred approach includes specialist nursing care, symptom management support, wellbeing activities, and therapy and counselling – all meeting the individual needs of the child or young person, and the whole family.
Kate became patron of EACH in 2012. She has supported the charity by attending fundraising dinners and visiting their charity shops close to her Norfolk home, Anmer Hall.