Prince Harry in veiled attack on May? Royal hints at 'lack of strong leadership' from PM
PRINCE Harry flirted with political controversy yesterday when he criticised a lack of national leadership over the closure of youth clubs and sport centres to help keep children off the streets.
Prince Harry serves meals to children at a London youth centre
The fifth in line to the throne highlighted a national shortage of places where youngsters can go during half term.
Nary Wijeratne, founder of the charity Sport at the Heart, said: "He said: 'There's a lack of strong leadership in this country.'"
Kensington Palace insisted that his remarks were not political but Ms Wijeratne added: "He said that we don't have a strong Government."
Harry's remarks came during a visit to Roundwood Youth Centre in Harlesden, in the the borough of Brent, north west London, to see the work of the Fit and Fed campaign, which aims to keep children active during half term and gives them a free lunch.
Prince Harry said there are new buildings, but they are always under lock and key. Groups don’t have access to them
Ms Wijeratne, whose charity is delivering the project locally, said: “He also said that buildings like this are very important for the kids. Recently there have been sweeping closures of this type of building. In Brent this is the last youth club in the borough.
“Prince Harry said there are new buildings, but they are always under lock and key. Groups don’t have access to them.”
The Prince, who joined in sports sessions and handed out pasta to the children for their lunch, made similar remarks yesterday in a discussion about youth centres with Stewart Goshawk, chief executive of the Wembley National Stadium Trust.
He said: “They seem to be reducing by number every single day.”
He has devoted much of his time in the past couple of years to visiting groups of young people in deprived areas of Britain.
Last year he went to a sports centre in Leicester threatened with closure because of council cuts and when a group of teenagers told him about a lack of things to do in the neighbourhood and discussed crime and cuts to school and youth groups, he said: "It's ridiculous because these small organisations are the ones that are making the biggest difference."
He has urged young people to go out and find funding for their own groups from charities and other organisations.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said yesterday: “Prince Harry was not talking about the government. These remarks were made in the context of community projects rather than central government.”
The spokesman added: “He had a very enjoyable visit.”
One source added: "It is about what the charity sector can do as a whole to be smarter about how they use their resources."
Jane Ashworth, chief executive of StreetGames, the charity which runs the Fit and Fed campaign, said that it aimed to tackle the “holiday gap” of hunger, inactivity and isolation.
“It is really important that young people have good holidays. If both parents are working, there is a risk that you end up in front of your X-box," she said.
"And if there is not a lot of money around, it is pretty difficult to have your steady meals which you would have when you are not in school.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spend time with kids at Star Hub
According to StreetGames, 73 per cent of the poorest families cannot always afford to feed their children during the school holidays, a gap which is estimated to affect 3 million children and young people across the UK, and 700,000 in London.
Ms Ashworth said the campaign worked with 150 local organisations last year and hoped to double that this year.
They expected to serve a total of 150,000 meals, with food provided by the charity FairShare and local food banks, helping around 20,000 children.