Duchess of Cambridge joins children on camping trip

PA

Earlier today the Duchess of Cambridge joined a group of schoolchildren on a camping trip at the Widehorizons Margaret McMillan House in Wrotham, Kent.

The Daily Mail reports that Kate was visiting an 'Expanding Horizons' primary school scheme, co-ordinated by ARK Schools, which gives inner-city children the chance to visit the countryside and develop their confidence and teamwork skills.

Kate walked around the woods with a group of 28 children, aged eight and nine, who are pupils of the King Solomon Academy Primary School, in North Westminster, London.

It is an area of high deprivation and more than 70 per cent of children under 15 in the area live in a jobless household.

For many of the children it was the first time they had been away from home or visited the countryside.

As part of their three-day residential course the children had slept in tipi tents and taken part in activities including rope challenges, obstacle courses, campfire building and outdoor cooking.

PA

The children showed Kate around the shelters that they had built themselves, and the group was then shown how to make dough sticks over the camp fire.

After joining the children for lunch, Kate left by helicopter for Gloucestershire, where Prince William was due to play in a charity polo match.

ARK spokesman Lesley Smith said: "Many of the children here live in a flat with no gardens and little area to play. This has been such an experience for them."

One of the children, Tigerlily Smith, eight, said: "We asked her how it felt to be a princess and she said it was very nice and she got to visit lots of countries but hadn't seen as many as William. She said William was very sweet and kind and spoiled her."

Alpha Kolajo, nine, said: "We told her about our camping and how we made our shelter and she was very impressed."

The charitable Foundation of Prince William and Prince harry is supporting ARK in its work and last year Kate and William attended the ARK fundraising gala in London, which was their first engagement as a married couple.

Click on the image below to see our selection of the best campsites for cool kids...

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