Festive News 2017 by Hereford Lions Club | Page 14

SOPHIE BRINGS LOTS OF SMILES
TO FOUR CITY CHARITIES

PAGE 14 • FESTIVE NEWS • DECEMBER 2015

The Countess of Wessex, the former PR girl Sophie Jones who married
Prince Edward showed why she has become one of the most popular of the
Royals when she spent the day visiting four Hereford charities. It was smiles
all round as Sophie charmed all who met her.
It was her second visit to The Haven in St Owen’s Street which provides
emotional and physical support to women with breast cancer She was full of
praise for the work done by The Haven where she chatted to women being
helped and some of the volunteers and fundraisers.
Her first call was a Sophie’s House on the Hampton Bishop Road, part of
the Martha Trust which cares for profoundly disabled young people and a
poignant moment when she met Sophie Sharp-Smith , 27 one of the disabled
residents who presented her with a posy of flowers. The Martha Trust which
now has two special homes in the city was founded 20 years by Sophie’s
parents Richard and Sarah Smith. It has 28 beds in the two nursing homes
providing both lifelong care and respite. Sophie’s House opened three years
ago. Richard and Sarah hope to inspire other people to create similar
facilities across the country .
The Countess also visited Emilia’s Place in Goal Street, a new venture set
up the by the volunteer street pastors as a place of refuge for young people
suffering from too much alcohol after a night out in the city. It keeps them
save until they are fit enough to go home. It is named after Emilia the sister
of the great Victorian reformer and vicar of St Peters, the Rev John Venn.
The facility is said to take a lot of pressure off police and ambulance services.
The final call of a memorable royal visit was to Close House next to St
Peters Church which helps young people aged 14 to 24. She chatted to club
members, presented awards and even joined in a game of pool.
The Countess is also national Patron of Lions International and takes a
keen interest in the work of the organisation.

The Sophies meet… Sophie Sharp-Smith gives the Countess a posy

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Above: The ‘Swamp Runners’, pupils from
Mordiford Primary School welcome the Countess to The Haven. They organised a mud run
and raised £400 for the breast cancer centre.

Left: Mr and Mrs Smith founders of Martha
Trust watch the countess plant a tree to mark
her visit to Sophie House.

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