On Wednesday 19th July 2023, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, KG, GCVO, GCStJ, SSI, FRIBA, visited four venues in Cambridgeshire: Costello Medical, Lower Valley Farm, Fulbourn Hospital, and Madingley Hall.
At Costello Medical, The Duke met with several senior members of the team and was told about the company journey, from a team of 2 to nearly 400 people in multiple offices across 4 countries, and discussed the impact of the work undertaken for their clients. They also showcased our pro bono work, and the Duke met with Rick Thompson and Blayne Baker from Beacon: for rare diseases, Fiachra Woodman from The Brain Tumour Charity, Heidi Hall from Stephen Perse Foundation and Alison Taylor from Conscious Comms.
His Royal Highness (HRH) proceeded to visited Lower Valley Farm in Fulbourn, a Cambridgeshire County Council Rural Estate Farm. The Duke took a tour of the ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’ scheme which has been implemented. The scheme has been developed to diversify its farm estate use, mitigate the climate crisis and to encourage businesses to also become part of the solution. The council has enhanced the landscape at the 140 hectare farm, creating species rich habitats, including woodlands, grasslands and hedgerows. Local developers can become involved by buying biodiversity units to offset the impacts their developments have on the environment. The Duke also formally recognised the significant tree planting which has taken place on the farm as part of the ‘Queen’s Green Canopy Project’ and presented several Cambridgeshire County Council awards to tenant farmers on the farm estates, with Robbie Dean, David Woricker, Lucy Munns being recognised.
The Duke then proceed to carry out the opening of the Resource Centre at Fulbourn Hospital. HRH was met at the Hospital site by Chief Executive Anna Hills and Interim Chair Eileen Milner. The Resource Centre, which was completed earlier in 2023 following a 12-month building programme, is home to a number of teams including music, art, and drama therapy, pharmacy, and the Heart & Soul chaplaincy service. the Duke said he was delighted to be told that the Resource Centre, built by Morgan Sindall Construction, had re-used buildings previously on the former Royal Papworth Hospital site.
HRH’s final stop was Madingley Hall, Cambridge University to mark the 100th anniversary of the University of Cambridge International Summer Programmes.
Cambridge University images by Keith Heppell.
