The Lord Lieutenant of Devon, David Fursdon, was delighted to host Her Majesty Queen Camilla on her visit to Exeter, Devon, on Thursday 6th February. Her Majesty visited two venues, first being the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), where she was shown a tour of the facilities, which include Forensic Medical Examination (FME) suites and clinical rooms. She also met the staff who provide critical forensic and therapeutic care to service users. Her Majesty concluded her visit at SARC with an official plaque unveiling.
The Queen then went on to visit CoLab Exeter, a multi-agency health and wellbeing hub that brings together organisations working across sectors including learning, mental health, housing and homelessness services. On arrival, Her Majesty was briefed by CEO Fiona Carden about CoLab and its journey. CoLab functions to reduce health inequalities and pressure on public services; and the hub assists anyone who approaches it, without requiring an appointment or direct referral.
Queen Camilla met some Civic Dignitaries at CoLab, including the High Sheriff of Devon (Commodore Jake Moores CBE DL), the Chairman of Devon County Council (Cllr John Hart), the Chief Executive of Devon County Council (Ms Donna Manson), the Lord Mayor of Exeter (Cllr Kevin Mitchell), the Chief Executive of Exeter City Council (Ms Bindu Arjoon), and the MP for Exeter (Steve Race MP).
Donna Manson, Chief Executive of Devon County Council, said:
“I was delighted to see HM Queen Camilla visiting our partner charity Exeter CoLab. It was humbling to see the work of the staff who provide vital support to vulnerable women including housing, mental health services and community projects. The royal visit was a welcome boost for the teams, helping to raise the profile of the charity.”
Councillor John Hart, Chair of Devon County Council, said:
“It was a privilege to attend the royal visit with HM Queen Camilla today and to understand in more detail the work of the Exeter CoLab. We appreciate her taking the time to meet staff at the charity and highlight the essential and varied work they carry out.”