Teens delighted with right royal meeting

A TRIO of excited teenagers have been brushing up on royal protocol after being granted an audience with the Queen.

Isaac Sampson, 17, Emma Holland and Eve Kyriakides, both 13, will get the chance tomorrow to tell Her Majesty the Queen all about youth and community project Red Cafe, Mumbles.

The trio will be accompanied to Cardiff, where the Queen is reopening the Senedd, by Red Cafe youth development worker Dan Evans.

Isaac said he was shocked when he found out he would be in royal company, which is also set to include the Duke of Edinburgh.

"I am really looking forward to it," said Isaac, a Gorseinon College student from Pennard. "It's not an experience you get every day. Hopefully we will give a good impression."

Mr Evans, of Morriston, said the invitation came about after he and a group of young Red Cafe regulars had spoken at the Assembly Government on St David's Day about what it was like for young people growing up in Wales.

"Three or four weeks ago I got an invite to come to the reopening of the Assembly," said the 26-year-old. "Then a couple of weeks ago I had a phone call saying could I still come because the Queen was going to be there.

"I was told then that we had three minutes to talk to the Queen. I was lost for words initially. I was blown away."

The group is one of three that will give presentations about the projects they are involved in. The Red Cafe project, based on Mumbles Road, was started 10 years ago. It runs three youth nights a week, plus parents and toddlers and over 55s events.

Around 30 volunteers help out, and 60 to 70 people come through its doors each week.

"On Wednesdays and Fridays we have DJ workshops — we have a music studio upstairs, and we do cookery, art, craft and play sport," said Mr Evans.

Isaac has been volunteering there for two years.

"Kids can be with each other, it's off the streets and it's safe and comfortable," he said.

richard.youle@swwmedia.co.uk

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32715/f/503366/s/15ad60c5/l/0L0Sthisissouthwales0O0Cnews0CTeens0Edelighted0Eright0Eroyal0Emeeting0Carticle0E36290A130Edetail0Carticle0Bhtml/story01.htm

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