Princess Anne meets volunteers and award winners

The Princess Royal met hospital volunteers and young award winners on a visit to Somerset.

She travelled to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, to see its first surgery robot in action before heading to Bridgwater and Taunton College where she spoke with recipients of the Pride of Somerset Youth Awards.

Fred Bell and Lewis Townsend, who are part of charity ZP4, won the Sandy Padgett Award and said it had been a "good experience" to meet Princess Anne.

"We gave Princess Anne a hat and a travel mug to keep," Fred said. "Hopefully she wears it in Buckingham Palace."

When Fred and Lewis' friend Zach unexpectedly died in December 2022, a group of friends started the ZP4 charity in his name.

As Zach was a big sport lover, they are aiming to raise money for a new pitch in his memory by fundraising at local clubs and selling charity merchandise.

Leah Spanswick, 15, won the young carers award for looking after her mum who needs support with daily tasks.

"I was a bit nervous at first but after talking to her [Princess Anne] I was alright. She said I was a brilliant person," Leah said.

Sienna Kayes, 19, is the CEO of the Finding Peace Foundation, a mental health charity which donates bursaries and resources to secondary schools in the UK.

On meeting Princess Anne, she said: "It was really nice just to have an open conversation with her about the work all of us winners here do and have done to get to this point."

Princess Anne also visited Musgrove Park Hospital to meet a volunteer group which funded the hospital's first robotic arm.

The hospital’s League of Friends donated £1.5m to buy the robot, which surgeons have used to operate on more than 200 people in its first year.

Richard Bamford, colorectal consultant surgeon, said: “It was fantastic to show Her Royal Highness our latest state-of-the-art robotic surgery operating system.

"We’re eternally grateful to the League of Friends and its supporters for the passion they showed in helping to bring this technology to our hospital."

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Related internet links

• Musgrove Park Hospital
• Bridgwater and Taunton College