HRH The Prince of Wales last week visited The Royal British Legion-funded Personnel Recovery Centre in Edinburgh, taking the time to hear the stories of wounded Service personnel.
Prince Charles visited Edinburgh House, the MOD’s only recovery centre in Scotland, and spoke with recovering personnel and veterans.
Pte Paul Lambert, 32, lost both legs and suffered severe internal injuries during his first tour of Afghanistan in 2009 with The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS). He spoke to the Prince about the courses at the centre that are helping him adjust to civilian life after eight years in the Army.
“I actually met Prince Charles when I was in intensive care, he came to see me,” he said. “Today he was asking me how my rehab was getting on and how my prosthetic legs were coming on.”
Mark Steed, commanding officer of the centre, said the Prince of Wales continues to be a great supporter of the Armed Forces, especially those who are injured, wounded or sick.
"A lot of what we try to do is to build the self-confidence and self-esteem of people and I think for them to see a person like Prince Charles taking an interest and having an opportunity to chat really does boost their self-esteem," he said.
Edinburgh House opened in August 2009 and has residential accommodation for 12 personnel, with further capacity for up to 15 day attendees. The Legion took over the running costs of the centre in 2011 with the Army continuing to provide staff. The Legion is giving £5 million to fund the centre in Edinburgh until 2020.
Click here for more information about the Legion’s Personnel Recovery Centres.
Source: Royal British Legion
