Royal visit for young residents

Young L&Q residents at the Camberwell Foyer had a very special treat last night when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dropped in for a visit.

Prince William and wife Kate arrived at the 80-bed hostel, which also has a learning centre, and bonded instantly with the residents.

The royal couple got stuck in to a baking class and even showed off some unique dance moves as they relaxed and chatted with the youngsters.

William succeeded his mother Diana as patron of the charity Centrepoint, which provides housing management services on behalf of L&Q, and support services for young single homeless people at the Foyer.

Linda Lloyd from L&Q’s Agency Contracts & Quality (AC&Q) Team manages our relationship with Centrepoint and was invited to be a guest at the visit.

Linda said: “I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet the royal couple, and I was able to speak to William about what I do.

“It takes a lot of hard work and resources to manage and maintain a building the size of the Camberwell Foyer. William said he understood that and thought it was a very nice building.

“They were both really pleasant and genuine people; very relaxed and easy to chat to. The young L&Q residents who hosted them were fantastic and they were a credit to themselves and to Centrepoint.”

She added: “The role of the AC&Q team is to monitor performance, contracts and compliance and I meet regularly with Centrepoint to develop our working relationship and ensure we are doing the best we can for residents.”

Centrepoint’s mission is to give homeless young people a future and they work with more than 1,300 people aged 16-25 every year.