Harry and Meghan '˜empathetic and thoughtful', Brighton charity says

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent half an hour with volunteers and service users at the charity after visiting the Royal Pavilion this afternoon (October 3).

Jay Breslaw, director of Survivors’ Network, said: “They met some service users and volunteers, and I was really impressed by how empathetic and thoughtful they were in their conversation with service users.

“My impression was that they were really listening and were so kind and friendly.

“People were pretty nervous beforehand. The visit was really enjoyable and pretty relaxed. We all felt very grateful to them.”

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Sharon Marks, chair of trustees at the charity, said: “The visit has been absolutely amazing. Obviously a manic day and absolutely fantastic, It has been really good.

“We talked to them about the service that we provide. They were quite interested in hearing about the holistic services alongside the core services.

“Meghan was particularly interested in the yoga group that we run.

“They met one of our service users who has established a ‘Survivors’ Knitwork.”

Survivors’ Knitwork first began in 2014 as a way to bring together survivors of sexual violence, their supporters and the wider community to create a beautiful, communal scarf.

Rape crisis centres, survivor groups, student services and individuals across the country knit purple squares to be sewn together to create a strong, warm scarf.

The project is also a physical embodiment of the power of sharing, connecting and taking action together, the charity said.

The charity said it hopes the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will raise awareness of Survivors’ Network and encourage anyone that needs help to reach out.

To find out more about the charity and the services it provides, visit: www.survivorsnetwork.org.uk