Princess Anne to visit Mirfield

Princess Anne will be shown around the Safe Anchor Trust, which provides boat trips for people with disabilities.

She will meet representatives from more than 100 community groups who work with the trust on Friday October 5.

Charity trustee Mike Foot said: “It’s great for the charity because it creates interest in the local community. We do a lot of work with community groups and this is all part of making everyone feel good about the work we do.”

Princess Anne will go aboard the charity’s two disabled-access boats, the Safe Anchor Lady and the E Austen Johnson.

The Safe Anchor Lady has been in use for two years, but will be officially commissioned by the Princess Royal on Friday.

The E Austen Johnson has just undergone a major refurbishment with £20,000 from children’s charity Wooden Spoon. As Princess Anne is a patron of Wooden Spoon, she will recommission the boat which was originally commissioned by her father, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 1978.

Safe Anchor Trust founder Les Moss said: “Safe Anchor Trust and Wooden Spoon are absolutely delighted that the Princess Royal is able to commission the refurbished E Austen Johnson, a disabled-access boat which has completed more than 30 years of excellent service.”

Stephen and Jennifer Brook, who volunteer for Safe Anchor Trust and Wooden Spoon, will also meet the Princess Royal.

The couple have just completed a 320-mile row from Mirfield to London to raise money for both charities.

Mr Moss said: “We are particularly pleased that the Princess Royal will also commission the Safe Anchor Lady, our new disabled access boat, and be introduced to Stephen Brook and his wife Jennifer.”

This will be the third time Princess Anne has visited the Safe Anchor Trust’s base at Shepley Bridge Marina.

She first visited in 1995 and in 2004. The charity was founded in 1995 and now takes 16,000 people on boat trips every year.