King meets young ‘experts’ who took part in charity-funded wildlife project

On Friday, the King and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner visited Dumfries House near Cumnock, East Ayrshire, where they met with a group of pupils from Abbey Primary School.

The pupils were at the estate learning about nature and local wild flora and fauna in an initiative funded by the King’s Foundation which has its headquarters at Dumfries House.

The educational session saw pupils exploring the estate and its outdoor recreation centre.

The session aimed to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of the youngsters, boosting their confidence, resilience and teamwork skills.

Charles asked the children: “Would you encourage it to others in your school?”

The children nodded and collectively said “yes” to the King, who said: “I do hope you have great success because it’s marvellous when you learn how things are connected together. We start looking just to see all the details.”

Before leaving, he bid the children farewell, joking that he would “leave it in the hands of the experts” and said goodbye.

The King’s Foundation delivers education programmes for more than 15,000 students every year, for people of all ages.

Simon Sadinsky, executive director for education at the King’s Foundation, said: “His Majesty’s visit today was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the range of education opportunities available on the Dumfries House estate, delivered by the King’s Foundation.

“We are delighted that, as our royal founding president, His Majesty spent time with local young people benefitting from our best in class educators and facilities, which is central to the ethos of Dumfries House in ensuring we are all learning from and connected to the natural world.

“We are proud to provide education programmes for over 15,000 students every year and look forward to continue to expand our reach going forward, particularly as we look towards celebrating our 35th anniversary next year.”