Countess of Wessex shows off her crafty side on call with RNIB

Last Thursday, The Countess of Wessex joined a virtual arts session with a group of visually impaired children on a call with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

Sophie was able to show off her artistic abilities in of the charities’ Shape and Share session, where participants painted a bird box.

The Countess of Wessex shows off her bird box on a craft call with the RNIB (@RNIB video)

The Countess spoke to families whilst taking part in the arts and crafts, revealing her own favourite bird is a black bird.

Displaying her own bird box on camera, she commented on her own painting abilities: “I’ve just been doing camouflage down the side of it and on the front I’ve got leaves and a little bee as well.”

The session was led by artist Emily McFarland. The craft session was aimed at encouraging children to get out into nature and listen for spring birds. The initiative, held online due to the pandemic, includes craft and storytelling, pizza making and sessions on online safety.

The initiative is set to run from February to April with the sole aim to encourage children and youngsters to make new friends, try new things, and engage in some much-needed fun.

The Countess is an avid supporter of various charities helping people with sight loss or impaired vision. Sophie is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and became patron of Blind Veterans UK in 2016 after taking over the Patronage from The Queen.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People is one of the United Kingdom’s leading sight loss charities and the largest community of blind and partially sighted people. The charity wants society, communities and individuals to see differently about sight loss. The organisation’s key focus is on creating a world where there are no barriers for such people in any area of life.

The Countess of Wessex takes part in a craft call with the RNIB; she is involved with a number of charities supporting the blind and visually impaired (@RNIB video)

The Countess of Wessex saw a young girl on the call wearing a tiara: “Look at you, you really are a princess.”

At the end of the session, the Countess said: “Hopefully one day we’ll be able to get together and compare what birds have visited our bird boxes!”

Sophie praised the creative efforts of the families who took part in the craft session, and said how much she enjoyed meeting them all. The mother of two then thanked the RNIB for all the work the charity is doing to support people.

The Countess replied to the tweet posted by the Royal National Institute of Blind People on their official channels, along with a photograph hanging up her bird box.

The personalised thank you message read: “Thank you to the @RNIB for having me at your Shape and Share craft session this week!

Sophie, The Countess of Wessex shared this photo in response to the @RNIB’s tweet (@RoyalFamily)

“It was fantastic to meet the families and children, and see the positive impact of the sensory and interactive sessions.

“I hope the birds enjoy their new home! – Sophie.”

The Countess lives at Bagshot Park with her family, just a short drive from Windsor.

Bagshot Park, home of The Earl and Countess of Wessex in Surrey. The property is part of the Crown Estate.

Michelle Bateson, from Derry in Northern Ireland, said her 10-year-old daughter, Elodie, really enjoyed the craft session.

She said: “Elodie loved decorating her bird house and listening to the bird song that was played during the session. We are going to put the bird house on the tree house in our garden and are excited to see what birds will visit.”

Embed from Getty Images
Michelle Bateson and her 10-year-old daughter Elodie, joined The Countess of Wessex in a virtual arts session with a group of visually impaired youngster

The RNIB is close to the Countess’s heart, as her daughter, Lady Louise, was born with a condition called exotropia that affected her eyesight. The young Royal had corrective surgery in January 2014.

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