Royal delight for the ACE Centre

Tamsin England, Sophie Lord and Sarah Chandler, three young people who use aided communication, all had an early Christmas present on Friday when they met Princess Anne at the ACE Centre. She was visiting to celebrate the role that occupational therapy has played in the pioneering work of the Centre over the last 25 years.

Six-year-old Tamsin had the extra pleasure of presenting the HRH The Princess Royal with a posy (pictured below, along with her mother). Tamsin, who has cerebral palsy, communicates by eye-pointing to a communication chart and operating a talking computer with knee switches.

The Princess spent just over 45 minutes at the ACE Centre, meeting staff, young people and local dignitaries. Addressing a crowd of about 60 people connected with the centre, she said:“When it was set up 25 years ago it was more than a pioneer. Although there were some technologies they felt were possible, getting from possibility to robust functioning was quite a major step, and ACE has done so much of that. I met one of the young people today who I met 10 years ago and is about to go to university. How it has changed these young people’s lives is fantastic.”Photo: Christine Moon

Last updated: 07/12/09