Duke of Gloucester tours the Vale

THE DUKE of Gloucester got a chance to see some of the great work carried out by Vale people as he made a whistle stop tour of the area.

His Royal Highness began Wednesday's (October 3) visit at Pershore's Avon Meadows Wetlands where he spoke to staff and volunteers about the bumper £230,000 lottery grant which will fund improvements starting next year.

He also planted a tree to commemorate his visit.

The Duke, who has a big interest interest in conservation, then made his way to Blackminster charity Roundabout and spoke to manager Bob Pooler about the work they do in re-distributing furniture and other household items to the needy.

Firefighters at Pebworth Fire Station then welcomed the Duke as he took a look around the new building and spoke to HWFRS chief fire officer, Mark Yates, about the importance smaller fire stations play in the community.

HRH also unveiled a plaque at the station to commemorate his visit.

Mr Yates said: "We were delighted to welcome His Royal Highness to Pebworth and hoped he enjoyed seeing the excellent facilities at the new fire station.

"We demonstrated the varied aspects of our work, from an emergency response from a local crew to a complex rope rescue as well as the vital prevention work carried out by our Community Safety team, and the important role that young people and volunteers play in this."

The final stop on the Dukes tour was at Kanes Foods in Middle Littleton. Earlier this year the factory unveiled a new state-of-the-art eco-friendly salad factory, which has a roof covered in grass and other plants.

Buy photos» Roundabout manager Bob Pooler speaks to the Duke about how the furniture re-distribution charity works. 40012038nce1 www.buyphotos247.com

Buy photos» The Duke visited Avon Meadows Wetlands in Pershore. (s)

Buy photos» The Duke planted a tree to commemorate his visit. (s)

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