We were delighted that Saint Paul’s pupil, Paddy Martin, got to meet King Charles and the Queen Consort when he recently visited Wythenshawe and called into Marcus Rashford’s old youth club, Norbrook, in Northern Moor. The King sat next to our Year 11 pupil, Paddy, and chatted to him in a very relaxed and friendly way, about what he’s been doing at Norbrook Youth Club.
The King and Queen Consort spent about an hour at Norbrook, where they met with young people from the NatWest Thrive Programme, supported by the Manchester United player Marcus Rashford, to hear how the programme supports and guides young people in developing a positive mindset around money, as well as encouraging them to reach their full potential.
The Royal party were accompanied by the England manager and Prince’s Trust ambassador, Gareth Southgate, and were able to hear from local young people, including Paddy, who’ve been supported by the Trust, as well as leaning about the youth club’s efforts to encourage a love of reading by making books more accessible. The guests also saw the formal unveiling of a library donated to the centre by the Marcus Rashford Book Club, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
Paddy commented: “It was wonderful to meet the King and the Queen Consort, I couldn’t believe it when he came to sit next to me! All the visitors seemed very interested in what we had to say about the activities we had been involved with at the youth club. It was a very special day!”
Norbrook Youth Club was established more than 60 years ago and offers a safe and friendly environment for young people from age 6 to 18 to enjoy free and diverse weekly activity sessions. The club fosters health and wellbeing through a wide range of activities that allows young people to develop, have fun and make friends.
