Prince Harry has made a personal donation of £1.1 million to a BBC Children in Need-supported project in Nottingham aimed at helping young people affected by violence, the BBC reported. The donation was announced during the duke’s visit to the Community Recording Studio, where he met youth workers, listened to performances and took part in discussions about tackling youth violence.
The donation, which Harry said came from his own funds rather than his Archewell organisation, is intended to help "changemakers in the city continue their mission to create safe spaces, build trust, and offer hope and belonging to young people who need it most," the prince said. BBC Children in Need, backed by an annual television fundraising appeal, is one of the United Kingdom’s major funders of independent youth work.
During the visit, Harry heard recordings from local rap artists, applauded performances and embraced one of the young participants. He also joined a roundtable discussion focused on issues including knife crime and the creation of positive opportunities for young people. Observers noted he relaxed into the visit, wearing jeans and even showing a few dance moves as he met participants and staff.
Tony Okotie, director of impact at BBC Children in Need, said the funds would help "create spaces where young people feel safe, heard, and empowered to build brighter futures." The studio in Nottingham is among projects supported by the charity that aim to offer creative outlets and mentoring as alternatives to gang involvement and violence.
The donation follows other high-profile philanthropic gestures by Harry. In 2023 he donated about £1.2 million from the proceeds of his memoir, Spare, to Sentebale, the charity he co-founded to support children affected by HIV in southern Africa. He later left Sentebale amid what has been described publicly as an acrimonious dispute.
Harry is on the second day of a short UK visit that has included a range of charity engagements. He arrived in the country on Monday and laid a wreath at the grave of Queen Elizabeth II in Windsor as the nation observed the third anniversary of her death. He also attended the WellChild awards in London earlier in the visit.
It remained unclear whether he would meet King Charles during this trip. The pair have not met face-to-face since February 2024, and Prince Harry has spoken publicly, including in a BBC interview, about a desire for reconciliation with his family. Palace officials have not confirmed any private meeting between father and son during this visit.
Meanwhile, other senior royals carried out separate public duties. Prince William, the Prince of Wales, was in south London visiting a housing project linked to his Homewards campaign to tackle homelessness, and on Monday he participated in a Women's Institute meeting in Berkshire. The visits underscored concurrent royal engagements around social causes as Harry focused on youth work in Nottingham.
The Nottingham visit highlights an emphasis on community-based interventions that combine arts and mentoring to address violence and provide alternatives for vulnerable young people. Organisers said the new funds would be used to sustain and expand programmes that offer training, studio time and mentoring to help participants develop skills and pathways away from criminal behaviour.
Local youth workers at the studio described the donation as a significant boost to ongoing efforts to build trust with young people in communities affected by violence. BBC Children in Need said it would work with local partners to deploy the gift where it can have the most sustained impact.