A SENIOR member of the royal family will be visiting Hereford tomorrow (October 1).

The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, will be paying a visit to three organisations in the county, according to the official royal diary.

He will be visiting NMITE, the Herefordshire Veteran Support Centre, in Hereford's West Street, and Holme Lacy College.

NMITE has now revealed details of what the royal visit will involve.

His Royal Highness, who will be accompanied by the Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire Edward Harley CBE, will meet NMITE’s president and chief executive cfficer, James Newby, academic staff and NMITE students, including those who have recently entered the workplace. The visit will include a tour of NMITE’s Skylon Campus, providing an opportunity for the prince to get hands-on with NMITE’s unique approach to learning, and will conclude with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque.

During the visit, he will meet NMITE’s foundation year students, along with MEng and BEng integrated engineering students, some of whom will be showcasing their engineering and technology projects.  Several of NMITE’s pioneers (NMITE’s first student intake from 2021) who have now entered the workplace will also be among those on-site for the royal welcome. Representatives from NMITE’s recent Retrofit programme, and timber technology engineering design (TED) short courses will also be in attendance.

Ahead of the visit, Mr Newby said “This will be an amazing opportunity to show the Duke of Edinburgh how NMITE is a transformative force in UK university and technical education, redefining engineering and construction training on a national scale, how we are providing new educational opportunities for local people and helping to overcome the barriers to regional economic growth. Our overarching goal is to generate substantial employment, skills development, and economic impacts for Herefordshire, fulfilling the institution's intended role as a catalyst for positive change in the region.”

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Details of the upcoming Holme Lacy College were also revealed last week, with the duke to visit the new low-carbon technology training centre and its renowned farriery and blacksmithing workshops.

Prince Edward's last official appearance in the county was a virtual visit during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when he spoke to Hope Support Services in Ross-on-Wye, a  Herefordshire charity which offers support to people who have a seriously ill relative.

He was said to be particularly impressed with the unique nature of Hope's youth management team and youth advisory team.