Queen Camilla visited the Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service (SDASS) on Monday, 22 January to mark its 50th anniversary.
The Queen was in Swindon to meet staff, volunteers and families, as well as to see Jenni’s House – a refuge of the charity.
Queen Camilla privately met families taking refuge and toured their flats. Afterwards, she named the centre “Jenni’s House” and unveiled a plaque to mark the SDASS’s 50th anniversary.
As she unveiled the commemorative plaque, Her Majesty said: “It’s not just looking after the victims or the children. It’s getting into schools, teaching young people, teaching them respect and working with perpetrators too. As you say, who knows—in 50 years we might be able to prevent this horrific abuse and suffering.”
The centre is named after the SDASS’s founder, Jenni Manners, whose personal domestic violence experience inspired her to set up the SDASS, which was initially called Swindon Women’s Aid, in 1974.
The SDASS can host 22 families at a time and averages helping around 62 families a year.
Her Majesty also visited Swindon’s oldest family-run business, Deacon & Son Jewellers as it celebrates 175 years of trading. She met with managing director, Richard Deacon, and saw vintage watches. The Queen even brought in her own vintage Breitling watch for repairs during the visit.
During her visit to Swindon, the Queen received cards and well-wishes for the Princess of Wales, who is in hospital following abdominal surgery, and King Charles, who will have surgery this week for an enlarged prostate.
Queen Camilla told the crowds that King Charles was “fine” ahead of his procedure.
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