The Queen has visited a St. Mungo's accommodation facility supporting individuals who have experienced homelessness, where she engaged with both residents and staff participating in a shared reading initiative.
Camilla, who serves as Founding Patron of The Queen's Reading Room charity, toured the service to learn about efforts to establish reading and storytelling as tools for improving wellbeing among residents.
During her visit to the centre's Activities Room, the Queen spoke with people who have participated in the shared reading programme run by St. Mungo's.
To mark the occasion, Camilla unveiled bookshelves stocked with titles chosen jointly by herself and the homelessness charity specifically for those the organisation supports.
The Queen has visited a St. Mungo's accommodation facility supporting individuals who have experienced homelessness, where she engaged with both residents and staff participating in a shared reading initiative.
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The donated books were selected based on a 'Book Menu' system, where each service indicates residents' preferences to ensure an accessible and varied collection for everyone.
This collaboration between The Queen's Reading Room and St. Mungo's has been running for eighteen months, with the aim of demonstrating how both individual and group reading can enhance wellbeing for those recovering from homelessness.
The reading programme has now been rolled out across nine St. Mungo's services, equipped with staff training toolkits, donated books, and dedicated Queen's Reading Room Shelves.
The charity developed a 'Make Room for Reading' training resource designed to teach staff and volunteers about the benefits of reading for mental health, techniques for discussing books with less confident readers, and methods for using literature to build personal confidence and social bonds.
This toolkit was specifically tailored to meet the requirements of vulnerable individuals.
Queen Camilla serves as Founding Patron of The Queen's Reading Room charity.
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Pan MacMillan Publishing has supported the initiative by helping to donate hundreds of books, creating dedicated spaces where residents can enjoy reading either alone or as part of a group.
St. Mungo's ranks among England's foremost charities tackling homelessness, providing direct support to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming so, helping them find permanent routes away from life on the streets.
The organisation assisted more than 28,000 individuals through 138 different services in the past year.
Its work spans the full spectrum of need, from outreach to rough sleepers and emergency shelter provision through to securing longer-term housing solutions.
The charity traces its origins to 1969, when a group of volunteers witnessed people sleeping rough near Charing Cross station in the capital.
To mark the occasion, Camilla unveiled bookshelves stocked with titles chosen jointly by herself and the homelessness charity specifically for those the organisation supports.
|PA
Over the subsequent 56 years, St. Mungo's has operated continuously to help people rebuild their lives after experiencing homelessness.
The charity helps residents develop skills, access training and education, and find employment opportunities, supporting them in pursuing their personal ambitions.
The Duke of Kent serves as the organisation's Patron.
The Queen's Reading Room was established by Her Majesty in 2021, initially under the name The Duchess of Cornwall's Reading Room, with a mission to champion literature's transformative potential both domestically and internationally.
The charity has built a global presence, engaging audiences across more than 180 countries through prestigious festivals, exclusive digital content, and a community exceeding 205,000 book enthusiasts.
Its work has gained recognition in scientific circles, becoming the first literary organisation invited to present at the British Neuroscience Association's International Festival of Neuroscience following research into reading's neurological benefits.
Beyond its public-facing activities, the charity partners with shelters and refuges to implement reading programmes that support vulnerable populations.
The organisation promotes the accessibility and pleasure of stories and storytelling, working to ensure that literature reaches those who might benefit most from its wellbeing advantages.